Bloody Red Version: The AU Story
by animatedrose
Summary: Wildfire's life gets even more hectic than usual when some kid falls from the sky, claiming to know his mother. Add in a Swampert trying to play daddy and new restrictions against Wildfire's style of fighting. You can tell Wildfire's one pissed off Charmeleon! And this is only just the beginning... Meanwhile, Giovanni's facing his own slew of troubles back at the Rocket base...
1. Prologue

I blame CHIKARAfiction/eagle01/whatever-the-heck-he-wants- to-be-called for this thing's existence! He started this…and got me tangled up in it…

My mistake?

Simple—I fell in love with his effing storyline…and characters…and stuff…

GDI…

Go torment him for continuing this thing's existence! He'll likely be the reason BRV gets continued…once we're done with this crazy thing he cooked up…whenever it ends…if it ever ends…

He tortured me for half a year with this before I caved, got Skype, and indulged his craziness. This is the result.

This entire prologue…thingy…belongs to CHIKARAfiction! I just cleaned it up and edited it and junk. And am now posting it. This is what started this craziness!

Oh, yeah! It's in the POV of his character, Clint. Liz is his Charizard. More on them later, though...

Have fun in this crazy new world he somehow crafted because of me… I know I am… :3

Pokémon: Bloody Red Version

The AU Story

Prologue

This place is horrible...corridors, hallways, plenty of doors. I'm never going to find her at this rate. ...I have to find her...

I keep running, trying to avoid battles. The last thing I want to do is have a battle in a closed hallway... The roof comes down… A lot of pain when I get out of here… I've been doing this long enough to know that. So if I can just find her quickly and make an equally quick escape, then everything will be alright...

Team Rocket Labs... They never cease to amaze you, the endless capturing and torturing of Pokémon... It's funny, considering they do that just to make their own monsters half the time... It's hard to feel sorry for them when their Pokémon kill them after a loss after that...but anyway, back to a dire situation here.

I need to rescue my friend... One of my first on this ever continuing journey of mine through these worlds. And if they've done anything to her... Well, that's bad news for them...

I should have known... I should have known when I released her...but I wasn't just going to keep her after she found someone. Our bond was strong but she wanted to move on. After all the times we've had, it was fitting. It's not like I never saw her again, I always came back to see her in between...my endeavors...but she wasn't officially a part of my team anymore.

They knew how powerful she was...and they knew she was vulnerable...especially...now...

I quicken my pace and try to get to the lab he told me about, hoping he was right...but usually he isn't wrong in these sorts of things. So I head for Lab A-31982. That's where she should be... That's where she should be. And I can save her and stop them...

Hallways, turns, more hallways… GAH! For the love of Arc-...God... This place can get to you sometimes, but this place just doesn't end. Ok! I'm on Floor A... Just have to keep moving.

They know I've broken in. I keep hiding in closets as the grunts head by me to fight my friends... Good luck to them. I'll probably never see them again... The Grunts of course... Pssh, you think I meant my friends? Please...I like to think I'm a better trainer than that... After all this time, I hope anyway...

Finally, Lab A-31982! The door should be unlocked at this point. I press my hand to the activation key and it clicks... Thank goodness. I rush in, ready for battle, ready to take anyone out in my way!

...There's no one here...

There isn't anyone in the room at all... All I see are lab tables...and...blood...every...where... Don't throw up, damn it... DON'T! I regain my composure...and realize that the worst has happened…and it could be too late... NO! Don't think that. She's stronger than that. She would fight... She'd fight for herself...and for... I bolt out of the room. Damn it! Where could she be now? ...Please be somewhere, please-

"Attention all...uninvited guests... Yes, that's you, boy... Hmhmhm... How'ya been? ...Lookin' for somethin'?"

That voice over the intercom... Oh, how I HATE that smooth, cold southern voice...and I try to stuff my anger down... It's incredibly difficult.

"Looks like there's been a bit of a mess in this here lab, hm? ...Hmhmhm... Sorry about that, ya see...I know she was a fighter an' all but man...there's plenty to be fightin' for, especially when you have—"

"ENOUGH!" I just yell. I can't take him anymore. What did he do? ...I just have to talk to him. It's all I can take from smashing my fists into the wall. "Where is she, you bastard? WHERE? I swear to everything, if you've done what I think you did—"

That damn laugh...over the intercom... It froze me...and he spoke again. "Oh please... She was useless... Like her death means anythin' to me... It's just another useless shell out of the way... Besides, the fine folks here didn't want her... Shoot, she's past her prime, man... Past any use to you or anythin' on this green wondrous earth o' ours...but what she had, on the other hand—"

My fists clench. "You piece of—" ...I bite my tongue. "...What did you do?"

He takes his time in explaining... Of course... He just loves what he does... "Mmmmm... Well, it was tough... Took the whole dang lab and some of my subordinates to subdue her...even in her condition. Heheh... It was wondrous to watch her in panic... Watch her scream... Knowing her hope for existence...like a flame...dancin' like it does...flicker out..."

At this point, I can't STAND him anymore. "ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME? OR AM I GOING TO HAVE TO TEAR THIS LAB DOWN TO FIND THEM?!"

He just laughs... If I could just find him...I'd cream him... He talks again, so I listen. "Well... If you want the lovely lady...she's out back... We're done with her, y'know what I mean? Heheheh...but that other piece of the puzzle... That's gone... The Rockets here, they got plans for him... A part of a new wondrous program—"

I'm done listening and I bolt to the back of the labs. Any grunt I see now, before they can summon their Pokémon, I just level them with a straight punch to the face. Have to get there, have to...HAVE TO... I get to the back, all but kicking the door down and...

"...No..."

She's there...in the grass behind the labs... Blood all over her... Her stomach...shredded... Her once big orange imposing form...destroyed. I can't stop from throwing up that time. I keep my footing and stumble over to her. I shout. "LIZ!" I go over to her... She's not moving. I shout. "LIZ! ...Please no...no…" Tears start to fall from my face. I can't stop them... Can't blame myself...

Suddenly...a small gasp from her snout as she spits up blood. I nearly leap... She isn't dead! I go to her quickly. "LIZ! Liz I'm here!" I check her tail... Her flames barely lit... I breathe heavily "Alright, Liz... It's ok... It's ok, we can get you to a Center. You can be healed, just like that. It's ok, we can—"

She licks her bloodstained lips...and smiles weakly, cutting me off. "You're...a little late to the party...Clint..."

I choke back a sob. "Don't you say that! You've been through worse, Liz, you have!"

"No, I haven't... You know I haven't..." She looks to me weakly. "I'm dying...Clint..."

I freeze... I don't want to accept it... Please, no... "No... Liz, please... You can't die! You can't! You're—"

"I know!" She coughs and I do my best to steady her head. "I know that you, simpleton…"

I almost laugh... How can she still crack a joke like usual in this situation? She continues, so I keep quiet.

"I know I was your first starter... I've been with...you through thick...and thin..." She coughs again. I steady her head "...I don't have time...for the sentimental talk, Clint... I'm going to be gone soon..."

"DONT SAY THAT, DAMN IT!" I bite my lower lip. "...You were ready to finally do something you wanted to for awhile now... Liz...you're a—"

She smiles, cutting me off again. "I know... Through all of the torture...I managed to..." She coughs again and cringes. "...be forced...to deliver..."

I shouldn't ask... Really, I shouldn't with the time...but I have to. "...Boy or girl?"

She manages a smirk. "...Same old Clint... A beautiful little boy…" A tear falls down her face. "A boy I'll never...be able to tell how much I love..." She coughs again, more blood coming up. I steady her again.

"This doesn't have to be this way, Liz! Let me try and save you! Don't just give up!"

Liz sighs. "Clint... I don't have much of...a choice... Look...They took my boy...and...from what I heard, they... They're gonna..." She takes a breath. She isn't going to go now... "...They're gonna hurt my baby, Clint... They're gonna...try and...make him one of them..."

I swallow a hard lump in my throat. "I won't let that happen... I won't, Liz, do you hear me?"

Liz smiles again and lifts her neck up as much as she can. "Clint... I know you can save my baby, I know...you can. ...I wouldn't trust this...with anyone else... My baby's...going to grow up...alone... They're going to make him cold...and evil...and you're the only one who...can save him."

I ask, "Where are they taking him?"

She replies after a breath. "I heard something about...replacing...Pokémon that...trainers start their journeys with...with Pokémon that...have been groomed secretly under the Rockets... He...probably doesn't even know...it's the Rockets... They're stupid but...not that stupid...but he's going to hate... My baby... He's going to hate everyone..." She's crying now...weakly, her life leaving her.

I try and console her. "Liz...I'll find him, don't you worry. ...This is your dying wish. I don't think I'm going to just walk away from it, right? ...I'll find him... I'll make sure I get him out of that abyss... Maybe I can even find him before that...right?"

Liz smiles...her head resting on the ground. "I know...you'll save him Clint. ...You'll save...him...and give him the love...I can't..." Her eyes start to close...

"...No...LIZ, NO!"

Her last words...implant in my mind. "Take care...of my Wildfire..." Her eyes close...and her tail goes out.

For a few minutes...I stare...and hope she's going to open her eyes again... I hope...with every bone and fiber that makes my being...but she doesn't...

...Liz...is dead...

I'm shaking... Shaking with anger... Rage... So much grief and sadness...and I just scream...and clutch Liz's neck tightly... This shouldn't be happening... Not this way...NOT THIS WAY...

Some grunts come out of the back door, probably send to 'deal with me'... Right... They shout, "Alright trespasser, prepare to die!"

I'm quiet for a bit... Then I stand...slowly...and turn to them. I see them back up. ...Liz's blood is all over me from clutching her so tight...and I take out a Poke Ball... I don't remember much after that... Just the ringing of Liz's last words... "Take care...of my Wildfire..." ...and a leveled Rocket scientist lab...

...One thing's for sure... Wildfire...wherever you are...I'm not going to stop looking for you, or who caused this... As if he needed another reason...

Wildfire...just hold on and wait for me... I'll find you... I swear on your beautiful mother's eyes... Uncle Clint will find you...


	2. Chapter 1: Investigation

This takes place directly after Dream 4 in **Bloody Red Version**.

Chapter 1: Investigation

Somewhere in the world, amongst its many people, there is a boy. A normal boy to the eye—age 20, black hair, brown eyes. He goes out, does things… Anyone you'd ask would say he's normal...but this boy had a secret... A particularly interesting one. Not even his parents knew about it.

But this secret revolved around the world of Pokemon... Yes, those cute and sometimes...kind of terrifying creatures that turned into a worldwide craze. Cards, shirts, toys, a TV series...and games...especially.

You talk to anyone else, they would say Pokemon is a fun hobby. Though if you talked to this boy about Pokemon, he would say with the absolute most certainty in his voice, "Oh yeah, they're fun as a _game_...but when you find out they're _real_... _That's_ when it gets interesting."

Some people don't know what to think of that statement. Others think it a joke. Others think it kind of crazy.

For him...Pokemon have evolved—pardon the pun—way past just a game...

.o.o.o.o.

One day, that boy goes back into his house. It's a rather big house... You'd wonder how a 20-year-old could afford that. He goes down to the basement of it...and there it is... Wires, beeping lights, etc. It looks like a tech nerd's dream down there. There's a giant screen on there, currently showing nothing. It looks like it's scanning something, but nothing's come up. There are some...tube-like machines at the other end of the room as well.

He sat down in the chair as another figure, this one out-of-sight, came down. The boy turned and smiled to it. "'Sup?"

The figure walked up to the screen and spoke. "So...ya find what that signal is yet, Clint?"

The boy named Clint relaxed in the chair, arms behind his back. "No... It's really weird..."

"Why?"

"Well...usually...signals like this only go off once and then stop because, more often than not, it's a glitched game and whoever used that particular one...kind of has a breakdown or throws it out the window...or both."

"Yeah, I feel you... So, you think this is different?"

"I'm not sure..." Clint admitted.

A window appeared on the screen. It's of another figure, kind of blacked out. A sort of dull, mechanical voice came through the speakers.

"I have not been able to locate the exact coordinates of the anomaly yet..."

Clint sighed, looking down a bit. The figure next to Clint looked to him. "...Man, you think this is gonna be the one to have—"

"I don't know..." Clint interrupted.

The figure sighed and patted Clint's arm. "Maybe it will be, man... I know how much ya wanna find 'em..."

"Mhmm..." Clint lifted his head with a little smile. "But hey, don't worry about it too much, man, alright? Why don't you head up? I'll catch up with you in a bit."

"A'ight," the figure shrugged. He put up his...hood...and walks away.

Clint goes back to watching the screen. That other figure is still present in the chat window.

"Come on... Show up for me one more time..." Clint whispered softly.

.o.o.o.o.

Clint was down there all night...waiting... Usually he had to because, at first with glitched games...they suck you in that way. He just prayed with everything...it hadn't been destroyed... It's usually hard to destroy these types of games...but it can be done... He waited...staring at the screen.

The figure on the monitor spoke once more. "You need to sleep eventually."

"Not now, I don't..."

"You are going to expel your energy needed for later. Go and rest. I shall continue monitoring."

Clint stared...and sighed...and started to rise...until...BEEP! Clint plopped right back down.

"THAT HAS TO BE IT! Locate it!" he ordered.

The monitor vanished and the scanner expanded to a virtual layout of the world. It zoomed back in on the US, pinpointing, pinpointing...THERE.

Clint grinned. "There you are...again. Whoever you are, you're the only other person to visit the world of Pokemon more than once... The other one being, well..." He gave a half laugh. "Me... Alright, I suppose I should head out then!"

The figure appeared on the chat monitor again. "Negative."

"...Wha?" Clint yelped, baffled.

"Allow me to recon who it is, to see if there is a threat," the figure on the monitor requested.

"Oh, like I would just go barging in, not asking any questions..." Clint grumbled.

"..."

"...So, you're gonna go recon and tell me what's up then?" Clint asked.

"Yes..."

Clint sighed dramatically. "FINE... I'll wait..." He sat in his chair, annoyed. "Do your thing..."

The monitor vanished...and that particular figure goes to where the signal is sounding.

Clint looked down, muttering to himself. "Please...let this be the one..."

.o.o.o.o.

That certain figure stepped through the woods. It kind of...looked like Clint... Human figure, clothing, black hair...but...red eyes...

This is where the signal was... This is where he should find them… He sniffed the air...and closed his eyes...

_Red version..._

It took him back a bit...but this isn't the time to be thinking of such endeavors... This is a time to find and analyze...

.o.o.o.o.

Dante sighed, getting up. He could see the small injuries accumulating on his teammates from the training. Wildfire and Gale were fighting like crazy, ignoring their pains and aches in pursuit of power. Rocket, Talon, Dune, and Zapper didn't have that same drive. Their drive was to protect him, Dante, from the harshness that was the two glitch Pokemon.

_Maybe we should go to the Pokemon Center,_ he thought.

He looked at Talon, who seemed to understand his wish. He spread his wings and cawed loudly, instantly calling the attention of the rest of the team. "We should go to the Pokemon Center. We all need to rest," the bird declared.

"Rest won't get us to the top!" Wildfire growled, tail lashing angrily at the interruption.

"Neither will fainting unnecessarily," Gale pointed out.

After a moment, the Charmeleon snorted. "...Fine. Let's go."

Dante sighed in relief, grateful to the Fearow for voicing what he could not. The group headed for Nugget Bridge in order to return to Cerulean City's Pokemon Center. Nugget Bridge is still littered with blood spots and burn marks from the damage Wildfire and Gale created. There's even a dent in the guardrail where Dante got slammed and nearly drowned.

Dante fought to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine. The drowning had happened nearly an hour ago yet he couldn't stop thinking about it. He nearly DIED! Would he have died in real life if he died here? Would dying have been better?

_No! I decided to stay alive so Wildfire can't hurt anyone else! I've lasted this long with him. I can still keep going. I just have to get him to the top. Then it'll all be over._

Forcing his head up, Dante was secretly happy to leave Nugget Bridge behind as they arrived back in Cerulean City.

.o.o.o.o.

The figure searched for them further. He crossed Nugget Bridge, emotionlessly surveying the damage. _With a battle like this...he would be healing his Pokemon and then returning to possibly train..._

He continued to walk, noticing the dents in the guardrail as well... A ferocious battle, that much was certain, to do damage such as this.

He pressed onward, Cerulean City up ahead. If they are to train more...he must look for the nearest grasslands...

.o.o.o.o.

Dante exited the Pokemon Center after healing his team. Wildfire, though still irate about interrupting his training for something as mundane as healing, had calmed somewhat. Dante was grateful for this. Zapper had climbed up to his shoulder now, uncomfortable being so close to Gale. His fear of the Pidgey lineage still persisted...

_Might have to fix that later. It's no good to be so scared of a teammate. If anything, Wildfire might use that against us later._

Dune suddenly yanked on his pant leg, begging to be picked up. Ignoring Wildfire's snorts and muttered insults, Dante did as requested and scooped up his beloved Sandshrew. _At least thing stupid glitchy game gave me a Sandshrew,_ Dante thought, smiling. _That's the only good thing it's done for me so far._

Dune and Zapper provide silent comfort as they crossed Nugget Bridge again, returning to training in the surrounding grass.

.o.o.o.o.

The figure's assumption was true...

There was a trainer with a full party of Pokemon heading into the grass. _A boy,_ he noted. _Now to see exactly what they are capable of..._

He followed, making sure none of them knew of his presence.

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire and Gale show no remorse to the wild Pokemon they battle, slashing and burning them to the point where Dante honestly wonders how they survive. Wild Pokemon sure are durable...unlike the ones owned by humans.

_Or glitch Pokemon,_ Dante thought, glaring at the pair.

Nearby, Zapper is helping Dune to get strong. "Come on, kiddo! Put some effort into that Scratch! Do it like you mean it!"

"But I don't WANT to hurt anyone! I'm scared!" Dune whined.

Dante couldn't help but give a sad smile. _Aren't we all?_

Talon is fighting plenty, though his attacks—thankfully—lack the ferocity and bloodlust of their glitched teammates. If anything, he's purposely holding back against these weakling wilds. Dante chuckled, reminded of how hard the Fearow had fought before he evolved, before he saved Dante from the suffocating river...

Rocket is sitting beside him, one paw resting on top of his hand. Dante feels just a touch safer, knowing he has such loyal friends by his side.

.o.o.o.o.

The figure watched through the trees, taking note...

The trainer cannot speak... He suffered from the muteness... Clint did in his first travels as well. He read the trainer's facial movements and noted when his Pokemon battle...

Two specific ones... The Pidgeotto and the...Charmeleon…destroy the Pokemon in which they battle with. The other four seem like eager Pokemon... Nowhere near the violent factors and capabilities of the other two, though they _could_ attain such tendencies—the Fearow especially—they don't seem to _want_ to.

Every time a wild Pokemon is killed, he noted the boy's sadness and disdain... He realized it quickly. The boy has lost control, which means those two may not be normal Pokemon...

Further analysis needed.

The Wartortle looks strong, however, with it resting, he cannot analyze. The Pikachu seems helpful, cocky but helpful... He noted the scars on its back. Pidgeotto scars...from that one or another...

Further analysis needed.

The Sandshrew seems young, scared, more inexperienced and fearful, he noted. The Charmeleon is the most ferocious in his attacks, but the Pidgeotto is not far behind... Interesting Pokemon...

A curious Rattata started sniffing the figure. He looked down and kicked it away. The Rattata growled and tried to bite the figure's leg, but the figure just grabs him and chucks him...clear across the trainer's battleground and in the line of sight and sound of all of them...

Misstep in judgment, however he is unafraid of any of the ramifications it may lead to... He fears nothing...

.o.o.o.o.

The Rattata sails overhead, squeaking. Everyone freezes to look up and watch it fly briefly before hitting the ground with a sickening thud. After a moment, it gets up and stumbles away, obviously in pain. Silence reigns briefly before being broken...by none other than Zapper.

"A flying Rattata. _Now_ I've seen everything!"

"Rattatas fly?" Dune asked, horribly confused.

"Someone probably threw it," Talon corrected, unimpressed. "I don't blame them. Rattatas are annoying."

"Stupid flying rat," Wildfire snarled, returning to training.

Rocket looked at Dante. "Is that normal?" he asked.

Dante shook his head. _Talon must be right. But who threw it?_

He looked around until he saw someone standing across the grass patch, half hidden behind a bush. Gale was also looking in that direction.

"You're a horrid hider," the Pidgeotto commented dully. "If you have something to say to us, come out. We know you're there."

"Huh?" Wildfire looked over. "Who the heck is that?"

"An idiot," Gale replied, turning away.

_Why do they always judge people by behavior?_ Dante wondered, looking at the strange person. _Well, he sure doesn't look normal._

The figure stepped out of the brush, face emotionless. His red eyes fixed on all of them. In a dull, monotonic...almost robotic voice, he spoke to them. "To be fair...I don't need to hide... I could have been come straight to you... However, I find analyzing from a safe distance is a more favorable choice..." His eyes go to Dante, then the rest individually. "You all seem to have your own methods of training..." His eyes stop on Wildfire and Gale. "You two in an especially interesting manner."

Wildfire frowned. "Who are you and why are you stalking us? Do you want to get killed?"

Dante sighed, hanging his head. _Why must you threaten everyone we meet?_ he wondered.

Dune clung to the boy's leg, catching his attention. "That guy," Dune whimpered. "He's creepy."

"Yeah, he's giving me the heebie jeebies," Zapper agreed.

"Well, he sure looks odd. Not your average person, that's for sure," Talon noted.

"You're not from here, are you?" Gale questioned. "And I don't mean this city. I mean this world."

_What?_ Dante looked at the guy again. …_Gale's right. He's not like anyone we've ever seen before. Pokemon has had some weird characters, sure, but none like this guy. Could he be...?_

"...Who...am I? …" The figure looked to the side, head sort of twitching slightly. "Who...am I?" He's sort of asking the question to himself...but he turned back to them after a moment. "I was merely observing you to collect data, as you—" His eyes locked onto Dante. "—have made a substantial amount of noise lately. You, of course, came back more than once..."

_What?_ Dante froze, suddenly scared. _Has he been watching me? Is this another glitch? No... The game wouldn't purposely make a person...would it? He keeps mentioning data. Is he a computer program? Then how'd he get in a Gameboy game? This makes no sense._

"Well, you're freaking weird," Wildfire decided. "You don't even know your own name? You're not even worth my time. Come on, Gale. We're going back to training."

"Agreed," the Pidgeotto nodded, turning away from the strange man.

Dante wasn't sure what exactly to do. _If only I could talk. I could ask him something. Is what Gale said true? Is he not even from this world? Is he...from my world?_

The figure looked to Wildfire and Gale. "Training is important to you... Why?"

"Why? Duh! So we can get stronger!" Wildfire replied, glaring at the strange person. "If you're not strong, you'll be trampled to dust by those that are. I'm going to the top. If you can't help me get there, then you better get out of my way...or else."

"Strength is better than weakness," Gale said simply.

"I see... So, you believe you are strong enough to reach the top? Stronger than all?" the figured asked.

"I've gotten this far without much trouble. And I'll get farther still. If you're gonna stand in my way, then you better say your prayers. I don't show mercy to weaklings," Wildfire warned, smirking cruelly and displaying his claws as an added threat.

"So, you assume that you can kill me?" His face, voice, posture… Nothing changes with the intimidation. He just stares at Wildfire with those red eyes.

"Everything can be killed, one way or another," Wildfire said. "If you're offering yourself as a demonstration..."

"If you wish to strike me down, you may attempt to do so." This guy just literally said 'you can kill me' with no emotion...

"Attempt? I won't just _attempt_ to, moron, I _will_!" Wildfire declared, lunging...only to leap back when Talon flared out a wing.

"Hold on! Something isn't right!" the Fearow said. "Nobody would just willingly let a Charmeleon try to maul them simply to prove a point. You're not normal, are you?"

"What the heck, you dumb bird?!" Wildfire shouted, peeved.

_Not normal..._ Dante thought. _Yeah, this guy definitely isn't normal._

Dune clutched Dante's pant leg. "I'm scared," the Sandshrew whimpered.

The stranger doesn't move an inch. "If he wishes to kill me, allow him to do it. It seems to be the only thing which fills his desires to give him anything close to the sensation called happiness... I assure you, he will not kill me. He may attempt, but he will not kill me."

"Even better reason not to let him even try. Who do you think he'll take his rage out on if he can't kill you?" Talon challenged. "Sorry to ruin your fun but I'm not putting our team's health at risk just so you can have your sick, twisted fun with Wildfire. Even if he might deserve it."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Wildfire snarled.

"Don't let them get to you. If you can't kill him, that man isn't worth the effort," Gale advised, frowning.

"Yeah, yeah," the Charmeleon muttered, reluctantly agreeing. "If it won't get me to the top, it's not worth going after."

Dante sighed in relief. _Thanks again, Talon._ He looked at the strange man. _But still... He actually WANTED Wildfire to try attacking him? Is he insane? I guess it's just because he doesn't know how Wildfire reacts. But still..._

"As you wish..." the stranger relented.

That same Rattata he threw lunged and climbed onto him. The man doesn't even flinch. Then…it chomped right into his neck.

Dante would've screamed if he was able, but all he could do was raise his hands to cover his silent scream. Dune provided the scream for him, burying his mousy face into Dante's leg.

Zapper jumped back, shocked. "Oh, man! That Rattata is PISSED!"

"I guess we know who threw it now," Talon commented, flinching as he watched the rat gnaw at the man's neck.

"Ugh... Get it off! That's horrible! Do something!" Rocket cried, half-hiding behind Dante's other leg.

...Blood...doesn't come out of his neck... It's...a white liquid...with purple and orange mixed in. The man's eyes start glowing red as he grabbed the Rattata and yanked it off effortlessly. His neck wound healed up in an instant. He looked to the struggling Rattata and opened his mouth, and what came out...is a screech...

A Nidoran screech, not an actual Nidoran... The Nidoran call from the game…and an off one at that.

He chucked the Rattata up into the air and it flew. He waited and it came down right in front of his face. He opened his mouth again and a torrent of water blasted it, sending it flying into the forest. His eyes return normal and he cracked his neck, twitching a little.

"A slight annoyance dealt with... Where were we?" he wondered.

_...What the hell is this guy? He CAN'T be human!_ Dante thought, terrified.

"...That was...odd," Talon said.

"Odd? Odd?! That was freaking _sick_, dude!" Zapper shouted. "And not in a bad way! In a cool way!"

"Now I'm even more scared," Dune whimpered.

"I think I am, too," Rocket agreed.

_Me three,_ Dante decided.

Wildfire and Gale looked back at the man in time to see the display. "...Gross," Gale commented upon seeing the stuff that came from the man's neck. "You're definitely not from around here."

"No duh," Wildfire deadpanned, frowning at the Pidgeotto. He looked back at the man. "Okay, weirdo, what do you want with us? You're obviously stalking us for some reason. Spit it out! I'm sick of looking at you already."

"Forgive me... In all of this, I forgot to introduce who I am... Allow me to do so... I am The Missing Number..." the stranger replied.

_Missingno?!_ Dante realized. _So he IS a glitch..._

"The Missing Number?" Talon repeated.

"Never heard of it," Zapper commented.

"That's a stupid name," Wildfire said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You may call me Missingno if you wish. It is not common for you to have never heard of me... I am not supposed to exist at all, but here I stand..." the stranger, Missingno, explained. "A Pokemon...just like all of you... Contrary to what my form depicts... If wished, I shall show you my true one..."

_Missingno usually crashes the games it appears in. If Red crashes...will I die?_ Dante wondered fearfully.

"Not supposed...to exist?" Talon repeated. "What does that mean?"

"He's...a Pokemon?" Dune repeated.

"Definitely a weird-looking one," Zapper commented.

"You still haven't told me what you want with us," Wildfire said, growing impatient.

"Simple... Something in which may be hard to comprehend to the young minds such as yourselves...but other worlds exists outside of this one." Missingno turns to Dante. "Your trainer is from one of them...and he is a rare case of one that has kept coming back... This intrigues me."

_I'm not doing this because I want to. Even if I stop playing the game, I'd probably keep coming back while I sleep. That's already been proven,_ Dante thought, frowning. _Besides, Jerry's gone now. Rook's dead...I think. This'll all end if I just do what Wildfire wants._

"So what? You're here to take Dante away?!" Wildfire snarled, falling on the defensive. "Then you're killing me first! I need him to get me to the top! He got me this far! He'll get me the rest of the way, whether he likes it or not!"

"Agreed," Gale said, stepping forward as well. "If you threaten our goals, you'll regret it dearly."

"I am not here to take Dante away..." Missingno said. "I am merely here to see him, as said. He does not seem to be able to talk... The muteness side effect is an annoyance, is it not?"

_Annoyance? It's hell!_ Dante thought, nodding quickly.

"Mute? You mean Dante's supposed to talk right now?" Dune asked.

"He does sometimes," Rocket replied. "But it always sounds like it's coming from the sky more than it coming from Dante himself. It's...weird."

"Oh," the Sandshrew nodded, understanding.

"So, you want to see our trainer? Why?" Talon asked, cautious yet curious.

"The only other one who ever came back was one other person. No one else has been able to handle it psychologically, or physically. So the fact in which your trainer Dante has survived without a mental breakdown proves he is formidable...which leads me to my next question. What are your names, Pokemon of Dante?" Missingno asked.

_Survived? Mental breakdown? What's he talking about?_ Dante thought, growing more afraid. _Is this game really that dangerous?_

"I'm Talon," the Fearow replied, still staying cautious.

"Zapper," the Pikachu said.

"I-I'm D-D-Dune," the Sandshrew stuttered.

"I'm Rocket," the Wartortle introduced.

"The name is Gale," the Pidgeotto said, not bothering to pay Missingno any attention.

"As for me, I'm Wildfire. Remember it! I'll be at the top soon enough! Then NOBODY will be able to defeat me!" the Charmeleon declared.

Missingno said nothing for a long while. "...Your name is Wildfire?"

"Uh, yeah? Are you deaf, too? Let me say it louder," Wildfire said, cupping his clawed paws around his mouth. "MY NAME IS WILDFIRE! REMEMBER IT!"

Gale frowned, shaking his head. "...I believe I nearly lost my hearing."

"Shut up, you baby," the Charmeleon hissed, glaring at his companion.

"..." Missingno rubbed a hand against his temple, a sort of whirring sound escaping him. He stopped. "Chance of me reporting back and getting a calm response just went down to zero... Possibly negative..."

"Response?" Wildfire frowned before shrugging. "Whatever. Let's go back to training. The deaf guy's hearing stuff."

Wildfire wandered off to train, Gale following him.

_Reporting back? To who?_ Dante wondered

"...To let you know...you are going to get another visitor... Most likely very soon..." Missingno said. He turned, saying one last thing before he left. "A pleasure, Dante..."

Missingno walked off, vanishing from sight.

_Another visitor?_ Dante thought. _Is that good...or bad?_

"Well, that was...odd," Talon said.

"Now what?" Dune asked.

"That was the most fun yet!" Zapper laughed. "The Missing Number! Wow! Wait until I tell... Well, I _have_ no one to tell. Crud..."

"It's okay," Rocket consoled, patting his friend on the back.

"Is the crazy guy gone?" Wildfire called.

"It appears so," Gale replied, noticing Missingno's absence.

"About damn time," the Charmeleon huffed. "That guy was WEIRD. And not in a good way. In a _bad_ way. A really, _really_ bad way."

"That's saying something, coming from you," Gale noted.

Wildfire frowned. "...Shut up."

.o.o.o.o.

Missingno reported back. Clint was half asleep at the computer. He looked up, snapping awake. "So...?"

"A boy trainer named Dante," Missingno reported.

"Oh... That it?" Clint asked.

"He had a Pokemon party," Missingno replied. "Dune—a Sandshrew, Talon—a Fearow, Rocket—a Wartortle, Zapper—a Pikachu, Gale—a Pidgeotto, and a Charmeleon..."

"...Weird... Two starters on the same team. That doesn't usually—" Clint suddenly looked up. "What did you say?"

"A Charmeleon…"

"...What's his name?" Clint asked.

"..."

"...What's. His. Name?" Clint repeated testily.

"He is ruthless and may kill on the spot," Missingno replied evasively.

"NAME. MISSINGNO." Clint shouted.

"...Wildfire..." Missingno finally said.

"...I'm going...now." Clint got up and started getting ready.

"He doesn't seem to know who he is or anything, Clint," Missingno argued.

"Don't care!" Clint said stubbornly.

"He may kill you," Missingno added.

"Don't care!" Clint barked.

"Your stubborn attitude for wanting to find him has clouded your judgment of—"

Clint turned to Missingno with a serious face. "Her last words to me were to find him and I'm going to do it, Missingno. I don't care about the consequences."

Missingno froze. After a moment, he nodded. "...Affirmative...I shall give you the coordinates."

"Alright," Clint said with a small smile. "Now, please."

The computer whirred and a hatch to one of the tube-like machine opened. Clint quickly grabbed that same figure from before and plopped him in the chair.

"'Ey, man, what are you doin'? It's late here. I'm tryin' ta sleep!" he complained loudly.

"We found him..." Clint said firmly.

The figure stared at him for a long moment. "...Wha'?"

"Wildfire is that signal..." Clint explained.

"...So what, ya want me to battle?"

"No, I want you to stay here and guard the monitors until I get back. Open up a portal so if something gets too rough, you get me out. It's simple," Clint replied, gesturing to the keyboard.

"You say that and there are about a hundred some keys in front a me..." the figure pointed out.

Clint sighed. "Sean, don't be stubborn."

"I ain't stubborn! I'm just sayin'!" the figure, Sean, argued.

"Just do it!" Clint urged. "Unless you want Zepplin to help you—"

"Nuh-uh! Noooo way! I can do this on my own..." Sean barked quickly.

Clint turned...and looked down... He smiled. "You wanna come too?"

There's no response.

Clint just smiled and picked him up. "Ok...but you know what you do to people, so get in my coat." He unzipped it and put whatever it is in there, zipping it back up. "Alright."

He steps in the hatch.

"Press the button, Sean," Clint instructed.

"Yeah, yeah, what 'chu think I'm doin'?" Sean muttered. He pressed a button and the hatch closed. Sean folded his arms. "Pssh, I can do this on my own easy, look at dis!" He hit some random keys. "See, that's smart-like, ain't it?"

Missingno just stared. "...You just messed up the coordinates for Clint to land..."

Sean froze. "...But only a little bit, right?" he asked hopefully.

.o.o.o.o.

There's a flash of light and Clint is suddenly in the world... He felt air underneath him and looked down... He's now ABOVE the training ground Dante was at!

"...SEAN!" he yelled.

He fell a good 15 feet to the ground, landing on his back.

"...Ok... Ow!" Clint groaned.

.o.o.o.o.

Sean stared at the monitor nervously. "...He was in the sky, wasn't he?"

"Yes..." Missingno replied.

"...My bad..." Sean admitted sheepishly.


	3. Chapter 2: Battles, Physical & Emotional

In which a lot of info is unleashed, a fight ensues, Wildfire goes nuts, and Talon is proven to be a bad example of a sales-bird. Let the chaos be unleashed…

**DISCLAIMER:** Clint, Sean, Magma, Slasher, Buzz, Mudpuppy, and Liz belong to CHIKARAfiction. This plot is also basically his.

**CLAIMER:** Dante and the cast of Bloody Red Version are all mine. No stealing!

Chapter 2: Battles, Physical and Emotional

Dante jumped, looking up to see a guy falling from the sky. _Now what?! Are the glitches in this game going crazy?!_

"First a flying Rattata, now a flying human? Sweet!" Zapper cried, laughing.

"He's not flying. He's falling," Gale corrected.

"_Toward_ us, might I add," Talon said, backing up a step. "We might want to run."

"Running sounds nice!" Dune agreed, clinging fearfully to Dante's leg.

"Move it!" Wildfire snarled, bolting out of the area of the falling guy.

Dante scooped up Dune and Zapper, fleeing. Rocket was hot on his heels. Gale and Talon took to the sky in order to get out of the way. The guy abruptly crashed into the ground…_quite_ hard…

"Uugh..." The guy got up quite quickly, rubbing his head. "Dang it, Sean! I gave you one thing to do and you messed up my coordinates..." He looked around, noticing the scattered team around him. "Seems I've caused a disturbance. That usually happens when someone falls out of the sky, though...when they SHOULDN'T have..."

.o.o.o.o.

Sean sighed from the computer. "He's hinting that I screwed up, ain't he?"

"Yes," Missingno replied.

"I already said my bad. What more do you want?" Sean complained.

.o.o.o.o.

_A person?_ Dante thought once the smoke cleared and the guy was visible. _It's not the guy from before. It's somebody different. Is he a glitch?_

"Man, that was cool!" Zapper declared. "How come I can't fly?!"

"Because rats don't fly," Gale hissed.

"And he fell, not flew," Talon added, glaring at Gale.

"Is he okay, Dante?" Rocket asked, looking at the stranger.

Dante shrugged. _Well, he doesn't look too hurt._

"Why are weirdoes showing up suddenly? Can't I get to the top in peace?" Wildfire demanded, peeved.

Clint turned and smiled at them. "Ah, you must be the guy!" He strolled over. "Hey there! I'm Clint." He extended a hand. "You don't know me, but you might know my friend—humanoid looking, red eyes, ominous dull robotic voice that makes Steven Hawking sound joyous..."

_Steven Hawking? He knows who that is? Then he can't be a glitch,_ Dante realized, though he shied away from Clint's hand. _Is he from my world? But...how'd he get here? Better yet, why?_

Talon flared his wings. "The weird Missing Number guy is your friend? He tried to get us killed by tempting our resident psycho, you know."

"I'm not a psycho, you damn bird!" Wildfire hissed.

"Are you okay, mister? You fell really far and hard," Rocket asked nervously.

Clint laughed, waving a hand. "Oh, I'm fine, bud. I've taken _much worse_ in my day." He looked at Talon. "Oh, don't worry. Missingno wouldn't have hurt you. He likes to gauge your powers and since attacking him with all you got doesn't do anything, he doesn't mind it."

He looked back at Dante, smiling gently.

"I take it you're kind of nervous of me—don't know what to think of me, can't talk because of in-game character muteness. I've been there," he admitted. "When I had it, I liked to picture myself in a silent movie. You know, with the piano in the background. That was a fun time."

_Wait! This guy was stuck in a game like this before? So escape _is_ possible!_ Dante thought, smiling joyfully.

Talon snorted, unimpressed. "Ain't your friend I was worried about. I mean the psycho fire-breather who got us into this mess. You've got no idea what he'd do to us if he couldn't kill your buddy."

"Quit calling me psycho!" Wildfire shouted.

"Just ignore him. That fool doesn't know what he's talking about," Gale advised.

"Fool?!" Talon squawked, peeved. "How dare you?!"

Clint turned, smiling. "Yooou must be Wildfire!"

Wildfire flinched. "What's with that smile?! Better stop that or I'll tear it off!" he snarled.

"Don't push him," Rocket warned. "He'll go through with it. I'm not kidding!"

"He's injured, burned, and killed before. You'd be just another on his list," Talon added.

Dante nodded in confirmation. _Wildfire's nothing but a killer._

"Oh, don't worry. I just find it funny that about all of his dialogue reminds me..." Clint trailed off briefly before clearing his throat. "Still, a pleasure. As for tearing my mouth off…" He laughed slightly. "A lot of people have tried that already... It's still there."

"Won't be for much longer, moron," Wildfire growled, falling on the defensive.

"Seriously, quit pissing him off. Are you guys _trying_ to get us all murdered?" Talon demanded, definitely not pleased. "Our trainer almost drowned already. Don't give Wildfire anymore ways to kill us or we'll all wind up boxed."

_Like Emperor and Empress,_ Dante remembered, frowning sadly at the memory of the two Nidoran.

"Oh, don't worry. You guys will be fine. You all look strong to me," Clint reassured. "I mean—" He looked at Talon. "Look at you, big bad bird if I ever saw one!"

"Well, what else would I be?" Talon asked, though his ego had _definitely_ gotten bigger with that compliment.

He turned to Zapper. "Zapping and shocking the competition into submission!"

"That's what I do best, dude!" Zapper declared, laughing.

He turned to Rocket. "You look like a powerful guy. I bet your Water Gun's a monster!"

"Uh, I don't think it's _that_ strong yet," Rocket replied bashfully.

He turned to Dune, who's clinging to Dante. Clint smiled. "You remind me of someone I know, but I bet you're a strong little guy too."

"I'm n-not as s-strong as Z-Zapper...b-but I'm t-trying," Dune stammered.

He turned to Wildfire and Gale. "As for you two, I _don't_ doubt your power but it's a team of six and everyone contributes."

"Everyone contributes? Without us, there wouldn't _be_ a team!" Wildfire argued.

"Let's just say this team could easily be better," Gale said, eyeing the other four Pokemon critically.

"There's always room for improvement but that's the part of a team, guys. I should know. By Wildfire's glare, he probably thinks I'm just some weirdo, let alone a Pokemon Trainer..." Clint commented.

"Weirdo? You're more than that," Wildfire snorted. "You're a complete waste of time. I have to get to the top. If you're not helping me get there, you're not worth putting up with. Buzz off!"

"Agreed," Gale nodded. "All you've done is talk. We have training to do."

Talon shook his head. "See what I mean? They're both crazy," the Fearow declared.

"Better shut your beak, bird, or I'll cut it off," Wildfire threatened.

"I'll peck your eyes out, lizard breath," Talon hissed.

Dante shook his head, waving his hands. _Stop it, guys! Stop fighting!_

"Don't! Talon, it's not worth it!" Rocket begged, yanking on the Fearow's wing. "Forget it! Just let them go!"

"I'll give that psycho lizard a piece of my mind one day, I swear..." Talon hissed.

"Well, it just so happens, Mr. Know-It-All Charmeleon, that I have been a Pokemon Trainer—doing this—for 12 years and counting," Clint declared proudly. "Man, it feels like just yesterday. Memories…"

"I don't care how old you are. You aren't helping me get any stronger, so get lost!" Wildfire turned away, intent on going back to training.

_He's been playing Pokemon for 12 years? Normal ones...or glitched ones, like mine? _Dante wondered.

Clint smirked. "So, you want to train? I can arrange that, no prob—"

There's some rustling in the bushes nearby, voices sounding from them.

"I know he came down this way!"

"Since when are _you_ ever right?"

"I'm right about plenty, including the expired milk you drank, which was _hilarious_ afterward."

"Oh, get off my back, Slasher!"

"Never, Buzz!"

"Both of you, stop arguing! This is the day we bring back that idiot's head for the boss. He'll _love_ that!"

"Hahaha! I'm with ya on that one!"

"...Hold that thought, please," Clint requested, strolling over to those particular bushes.

"Arrange? I don't need training arrangements, you moron," Wildfire snarled as Clint walked away.

_I wonder who those are?_ Dante thought, looking curiously at the rustling bushes.

What came through the bushes were three Pokemon—a Magmar, an Electabuzz, and a Scyther. Clint's already waiting for them. The Magmar stammers upon seeing him.

"Ah! He knew we were coming?"

"A deaf Oddish twenty miles away could hear you goons coming, Magma," Clint replied.

The Magmar growled. "Just you wait, kid! The Three Man Pokeband is ready to take you down! Magma!"

The Scyther grinned. "Slasher!"

The Electabuzz posed. "Buzz!"

"We're gonna rock your world!" the trio cried in unison.

…

…

…

Clint has been looking at a tree the whole time…

"...HEY! Pay attention!" Magma shouted angrily.

Clint blinked, snapping back to attention. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I was looking at a tree, thinking about paint drying. What were you saying?"

The three Pokemon growled, clearly irritated at the boy.

_Who are they?_ Dante wondered.

"Great! _More_ weirdos!" Wildfire snarled, annoyed. "I'm gonna train. Come on, Gale."

The Pidgeotto followed after as they went back to training in the surrounding tall grass.

"So, you have it all worked out that you're gonna beat me?" Clint asked.

"Oh yeah!" Magma nodded, grinning. "There are three of us and only one of you!"

Clint sighed. "...You do know I carry Pokemon with me...all the time?"

Magma froze. "...Uh... Um..."

"Irregardless!" Buzz snapped angrily.

"We'll beat any Pokemon you throw at us!" Slasher declared.

"...Any?" Clint grinned. "Ok... I'll make you a deal... I'll give you one Pokemon to fight. You beat it, you win."

"HAHA! What a joke! Fine!" Magma laughed.

Buzz smirked. "I'll zap it!"

"Slice it!" Slasher cackled.

"And fire up the grill..." Magma said with a crooked smile.

Clint chuckled. "You know, Magmars always interested me. Do you know you look like a Charmeleon and a Golduck's mistake in a daycare center?"

Magma froze. Then his left eye began twitching. "...IM GONNA KILL YOU!" he roared, enraged.

Clint laughed, unafraid.

"...You know, he actually kinda _does_ look like a Charmeleon and a Golduck combined," Talon commented.

"Dante, what's a daycare?" Dune asked.

Dante sighed. _Not until Gen 2..._

"Bring it out then!" Magma barked impatiently.

"Okie dokie then..." Clint shrugged.

He proceeded to grab a Pokeball and throw it behind the trio. Everyone watched it land in the grass. The trio of Pokemon turned back to Clint.

"Idiot! You can't even aim right!" Slasher cried.

"Loser!" Buzz taunted.

They all started laughing, unaware of the giant shadow that just appeared in the forest out of the Pokeball. That's when Clint started laughing.

Dante stepped back, terrified. _What the heck?!_

"Uh, Wildfire? Take a look behind you," Gale advised.

"Huh? Why?" The Charmeleon turned, baffled by why he was turning at all.

There was a slight rumbling sound, which the three Pokemon still didn't take notice of. Clint just kept laughing...and then it came into view. A _huge_...Swampert...that just towered over all Magma, Buzz, and Slasher. They still didn't notice.

"Hahaha... Hey, why are you laughing?" Magma asked, baffled by Clint's odd behavior.

Clint looked up from his doubled over spot, trying to recover from his laughing. "Ooooh, no reason whatsoever..."

Buzz looked around, suddenly nervous. "...Did this place get darker?"

The Swampert growled slightly. All three froze and looked up. The Swampert looked down to them. He was grinning.

"...Boo..."

All three's jaws just go slack. Clint just grinned, taking a seat in the grass. "This is going to be so much fun to watch," he predicted.

Dante's jaw dropped. _A Swampert?! In a Gen 1 game? That's impossible! How?! Why?!_

"What is that thing?!" Rocket yelped.

"An angry fish-dog?" Talon guessed.

"That doesn't look like any Pokemon I've ever seen before, guys," Zapper admitted.

"Scary..." Dune whimpered, hiding behind Dante's leg.

Wildfire froze. "...What the fuck?" he said.

"Thought that'd be your reaction," Gale admitted.

"...Hey, Mudpuppy!" Clint called.

The Swampert, named Mudpuppy, looked to him. Clint grinned and pointed at the trio.

"FEEDING TIME!" he declared loudly.

The Swampert's mouth cracked into a smile.

Magma gulped, suddenly unsure. "Oh…"

"My…" Slasher whimpered.

Buzz finished it off. "Arceus..."

"...RAAAAAH!" Mudpuppy roared, charging at them.

He smacked all three of them with one swipe of his arm. They flew into a nearby tree effortlessly. All three staggered to their feet, obviously dazed. The worst thing?

That wasn't even a proper attack.

"I wish I had some chips for this," Clint commented lightly. He shrugged after a moment. "Oh well..."

_So strong,_ Dante realized. _He's really been a Pokemon trainer for 12 years...but why is he here? Why a glitched game? It makes no sense._

"Holy! Dude, did you see that?! Didn't even attack, he just slapped them! Awesome!" Zapper cried, jumping around in excitement.

"Don't know if that's good or bad, honestly," Talon admitted.

"Me either," Rocket agreed, backing up.

"Maybe we should go?" Dune suggested, peeking out from behind Dante's leg.

_Maybe,_ Dante thought, uncertain.

"We're not going anywhere!" Wildfire barked, catching his team's attention.

"We aren't?" Gale asked.

"That guy... He's strong..." Wildfire grinned cruelly. "If I can beat him...I'll get to the top for sure!"

"Uh, Wildfire? I believe that's a Water-type," Gale pointed out. "Won't you l—"

"Shut up! Just watch!" Wildfire ordered. "When those three losers are beaten..."

_Uh oh..._ Dante thought, realizing what Wildfire wanted to do.

"Don't worry. You all are fine," Clint called, catching the group's attention. He hadn't even turned around to address them. "Just enjoy the show!"

"GET UP!" Mudpuppy demanded.

Slasher got up first and charged, blades extended. Mudpuppy just leaped over him—a big thing like that just leaped ten feet like it was _nothing_—and caught the Scyther in midair. The Bug-type cried out in terror.

"AH! MAGMA! BUZZ! HELP ME! AAAH!"

Buzz and Magma charged instantly. Mudpuppy took Slasher and threw him like a baseball into both of them, sending them all down again.

"STEEEERIIIKE!" Clint cried, grinning.

_This is crazy! How can a Pokemon be that insanely strong? There's no way...unless it's Level 100,_ Dante realized.

"Oh yeah..." Wildfire smirked. "I'm definitely taking him down. There's no way I can lose."

"Unless you get jetted with water," Talon pointed out.

"He won't have time. I'll show him true power," the Charmeleon hissed.

"I don't like this," Gale admitted, growing nervous.

"What's wrong? Scared?" Zapper taunted, though he kept enough distance between them to ensure the Pidgeotto couldn't hurt him.

"Not for myself," Gale replied, not denying nor confirming the Pikachu's jab.

Buzz got up and attacked Mudpuppy with Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt. Mudpuppy just stood there. Electric-type moves didn't affect a Swampert.

"I got 'im guys! He's on the ropes!" Buzz cried.

Mudpuppy bent down into Buzz's face and just roared. Buzz stood there a second…and flopped over.

"Pathetic..." the Swampert huffed, annoyed.

Magma got up and leaped, throwing Fire Punch after Fire Punch into Mudpuppy's stomach. It wasn't even leaving burn marks.

"More," Mudpuppy said.

Magma flung more Fire Punches.

"More!"

Cue more Fire Punches.

"MORE!"

Cue even more Fire Punches.

"DAMN IT, I SAID MORE!" Mudpuppy bellowed.

"..." Magma just stared at him like he was crazy.

Buzz got up and piggybacked Magma. The Magmar then Fire Punched Mudpuppy repeatedly in the face. Mudpuppy's head didn't even whip.

"Ouch! That has to hurt! Even just a little!" Talon yelped, covering his face with a wing.

"I think_ I_ can feel it," Zapper said, backing up.

"Scary..." Dune squeaked.

_Definitely Level 100,_ Dante decided. It _has to be. There's no other way it's this strong!_

"What's wrong with him? Doesn't that hurt?" Rocket asked, frightened.

"Apparently not," Gale admitted, seeming to get smaller in size.

"Good. The stronger he is, the sweeter my victory will be," Wildfire declared, smirking.

Magma eventually got tired, panting.

Mudpuppy blinked and grinned. "AHAHA! MY TURN!"

He just slapped Magma and both go down. Slasher charged and the Swampert just reared his head and headbutted him, sending them down in a pile again. Mudpuppy cracked his neck and started moving one arm back and forth. It started glowing, the first showing of an actual move being used by him.

Clint hooted in joy. "Oh, he's setting them up! Get ready for this one, folks!"

_Those guys don't even stand a chance! This is pointless! Why is he dragging it out?_ Dante thought fearfully.

"That's right. If you make them suffer, they'll have a stronger drive to fight again," Wildfire chuckled. "Unless you decide to kill them. I wonder what you'll do now, big guy?"

_Wildfire... He's enjoying this! That's not good,_ Dante thought, recoiling in terror.

The Swampert lifted his arm up and, as the trio got up, they are taken back down again with a ferocious Hammer Arm. All three went down in a heap. Mudpuppy turned and shook his head. He stomped, exclaiming, "FINISH. IIIT!"

Wildfire chuckled cruelly. "This guy sure knows how to fight. Those three stand no chance at all. Morons. Why do they bother?"

_This fight..._ Dante clenched his fists. _Please...make it stop! I can't stand seeing Wildfire so happy about this! Stop!_

"Dante?" Rocket asked, seeing a drop of red hit the ground. The Wartortle looked up, seeing the blood coming from Dante's clenched fists. His fingernails had cut into the skin of his palms, drawing blood. "Dante? Are you okay?"

Mudpuppy picked up all three and held them close, growling, "This is why you don't mess with us."

He LEAPED a good thirty feet in the air. All three trapped Pokemon looked up and then looked down, realizing this was gonna hurt. The Swampert began to glow slightly and came down like a comet, slamming into the ground and causing a minor earthquake. Mudpuppy had used Strength.

He got up, all three members laying unconscious in a crater now. Mudpuppy snorted and walked away.

Clint patted his side. "Good job, buddy."

Mudpuppy frowned. "You called me out for those bozos?"

Clint shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, everyone needs a workout now and again."

Mudpuppy snorted again. "It was barely even _that_..."

"Ahh, good job anyway, bud," Clint congratulated.

Wildfire smirked. "So they didn't die? Too bad... They probably deserve it."

"You got some height on that. You've been working out?" Clint asked.

"Dead-lifted a _ton_ this morning," Mudpuppy admitted.

"New personal best! Niiiiice!" Clint patted the Swampert's arm with a grin.

_Is it over?_ Dante wondered, looking up. _Is it finally over? That fight... Why am I so worked up? Was it because...that Swampert fought like Wildfire does? It seems so unfair somehow._

"Are you okay?" Rocket asked, tugging on Dante's pant leg. "Dante? You're bleeding..."

"That fighting? You think...?" Zapper asked.

"Nah! That's impossible, anyway," Talon shrugged.

They both looked over upon seeing Rocket and Dante.

"Something wrong?" the Fearow asked.

"Dante's bleeding!" Rocket whined. "I don't know what's wrong!"

Clint walked over, Mudpuppy calmly behind him. The boy noticed Dante's hand bleeding. "Sorry for the excessive violence, but those three there are minions of Team Rocket and...I kinda hate them so...I let Mudpuppy here go to town."

"Friends of yours?" Mudpuppy asked, looking at the group.

Clint nodded. "Mhmm…"

"So no crushing?" the Swampert questioned.

"No crushing," Clint replied.

"Then hello," Mudpuppy greeted them.

"Hi! You were awesome!" Zapper cried.

"Scary..." Dune whimpered, staying in hiding when the Swampert came over. He was quaking in fear.

"We're used to violent fighting. No worries," Talon reassured.

"Team Rocket is an annoyance. We simply kill them," Gale said, shrugging.

Dante glared at Clint. _This guy... He can't possibly be real. This is just another glitch meant to mess with me. He's no different than Wildfire!_

"Dante?" Rocket whimpered.

Clint looked at Dante, catching the glare he was being sent. "By that look, I'm starting to think you don't believe I'm real. Want me to prove it?"

Clint lifted up his coat sleeve. There are a few scars on his arm.

"Let's see here... Ah, see that long one? I got that one from a Sandslash when I waaas...'bout 10. I had to make up an excuse pretty quick that I fell at the park..."

Dante just stared at him.

"What?" Clint yelped. "You think after twelve years, there wouldn't be a scratch on me? You can get hurt..."

Dante glared again. _Even if you're real... Why? Why do you act just like him?!_

Wildfire snorted. "Just ignore Dante. He acts stupid at times."

"Agreed," Gale nodded. "He's just here to keep these guys in line."

Talon, Rocket, Dune, and Zapper all glared at Wildfire and Gale. They were firmly ignored by the pair.

Clint saw Dante's eyes shift to Wildfire. "By that, you want to know why I kinda act like Wildfire over there? Minus the absolute bloodlust he has?"

_Absolute bloodlust? You had your Swampert beat those three Pokemon ruthlessly! Just like Wildfire would!_ Dante thought, gritting his teeth angrily.

"They aren't dead," Clint clarified.

As Clint said this, the three staggered out of the crater and left.

"I don't kill for the sake of killing. I may send a message, but there are a rare few that I actually want to KILL..." Clint continued. "But...there may be a reason. When I battle, I have a sort of...powerful nature, if you will, with some of my Pokemon. Not _all_ of them. Every Pokemon is different. In turn, you train them differently..."

_That doesn't make it right to be like him!_ Dante thought, tears pricking his eyes.

"Dante," Rocket whimpered.

"So you're a killer too? Great! Like we need another one when we already have two psychos," Talon huffed. "I hope you don't plan to stick around."

"Scary..." Dune whimpered, remaining in hiding.

"Hey, you better not be planning to fight us with that big guy! That wouldn't be fair, dude!" Zapper exclaimed.

"Very unfair, considering the obvious level difference," Gale reluctantly agreed.

"Bring it on," Wildfire challenged. "I'll fight you, with or without Dante. If Dante tries to interfere...well, it's his funeral."

Clint frowned, hands raised in surrender. "I already said, there are only a few people I actually would want to kill and those people have done such horrible things to me that that's why they deserve death. You have to do a lot to make me want to kill you."

"Fine, so you're a touch better than these two. But you're still a killer," Talon said, wary.

"I really am I nice guy, really," Clint scratched the back of his head. "I guess first impressions just aren't my thing." He laughed a little.

"I think that's obvious," Gale deadpanned.

"Yeah," Talon agreed. "You send your friend, who nearly dooms us all to Wildfire's murderous rage, then you compliment us, then you stage a battle in front of our trainer, then you admit to being a killer who's just a SMIDGE better than Wildfire and Gale."

"They're all scary," Dune said softly.

"I like the fish-dog guy," Zapper admitted. "But you were better off letting Dante leave instead of having him watch that fight. Let's just say fights don't end well with us."

"Many die," Rocket finished, lowering his head. "And Dante tries to stop it...but he can't..."

_I'm just a human. What can I do?_ Dante thought, looking away from Clint. _...I hate this. This whole game's mocking me. They send another person, only for them to be no better than Wildfire._

Clint sighed, nodding. "I see… So, Wildfire and Gale kind of like calling the shots then. I keep seeing that look in your eyes, Dante. You think I'm just a heartless monster, but there's actually a really big reason I came looking for you. Other than the fact you are the only other one to keep coming back, you know..."

_Not by choice,_ Dante thought sourly, refusing to meet Clint's gaze.

"Keep coming back? You mean Dante could leave?!" Rocket yelped, horrified. "Dante, you wouldn't leave us, right?"

"Yeah, dude! You can't go!" Zapper cried.

"Please don't..." Dune whimpered, hugging Dante's leg.

Talon huffed, frowning. "Okay, okay, knock it off! All you're doing is causing anger and distress. What do you want?" he demanded.

"...You see, for quite a bit now, I've been searching for something, across a lot of lands and a lot of places, for one specific thing. Dante, you just happened to be the one to finally have that certain thing..." Clint turned to Wildfire. "That'd be you..."

"Huh? Me? What do you want me for?!" Wildfire demanded.

Talon shrugged nonchalantly. "You want Wildfire? Take him. We don't want him. Better yet, take Gale too."

"We're not items for sale, fool," Gale hissed, feathers puffed angrily.

Dante looked at Clint as if he were crazy. _Wildfire? What does he want with him?!_

"Let me tell you a story," Clint said. "...See, Wildfire, to everyone else here, might just be an ordinary Charmeleon...which kills Pokemon constantly...but to _me_, he's a little more. Want to know why?"

"Nope. Don't care. Just take him," Talon insisted.

"He does more than kill constantly," Rocket said, frowning. "He steals, threatens, and hurts everyone around him all in the pursuit of power."

"Well, I sure as heck want to know," Wildfire growled, unimpressed.

_Something more? What does that mean?_ Dante thought.

Clint sighed, rubbing the back of his neck wearily. "...The first Pokemon I ever owned, starting this entire twelve year and counting experience...was a Charmander, a female... I named her Lizard, Liz for short. I was eight, give me a break...but see...Liz, as the years went by, became something more. Probably my closest friend, a VERY powerful ally, and...a mom..." His gaze darted to the side as he casually finished his sentence. "To a male Charmander..."

"And this includes me...how?" Wildfire asked.

"Uh, male Charmander? I think he means you, Wildfire!" Zapper barked.

"Wildfire has a mom?" Dune childishly asked.

"That's...interesting," Gale said awkwardly.

"You mean Wildfire actually belongs to _you_?" Rocket asked nervously.

"Better reason to take him now, before he gets even worse behavior-wise," Talon advised.

_Breeding wasn't made until Gen 2. How did Wildfire go from Gen 2 to Gen 1? These glitch games are crazy..._ Dante thought.

"Well...Liz went with me through the 'lands'—" Clint looked at Dante, 'lands' obviously meaning the different generations. "—and along came a male Pokemon, some..." He looked at Dune. "…other stuff that doesn't need mentioning...and she was pregnant with a child. She said if it was a girl, she would name it Flare. If it was a boy," He shrugged nonchalantly. "Wildfire... And there's a good reason as to why you wouldn't know your parents, Wildfire."

"...You're lying," Wildfire accused. "You're just jealous of my strength and are trying to get Dante to give me up. Not happening! He's taking me to the top, no exceptions! Got it?"

"I'm not kidding! Seriously, take him and Gale!" Talon squawked.

"We aren't going anywhere, especially not with this strange boy," Gale countered firmly.

"Man, you sound just like your mother," Clint admitted with a smirk. "Stubborn, bullheaded, never stopped talking like, 'Your way is stupid, this is better.' 'Who's the monster of a dragon here?' 'Ooooh, I can breath fire because I'm so great—"

Mudpuppy coughed. "Clint?"

Clint paused, looking at the Swampert. "Huh?"

"Off topic," Mudpuppy pointed out.

"...Oh... Sorry..." Clint looked away in embarrassment. "ANYWAY...there's a reason, Wildfire, that you don't remember your parents…and you can't look me in the eye and tell me you remember them."

"Why would I remember somebody who doesn't exist? You're lying. Admit it," Wildfire said coldly.

_If Wildfire belongs to this guy, then how did he end up here?_ Dante wondered

"I don't think I would lie about this," Clint argued. "I also wouldn't lie about the reason she lost you... Captured by Team Rocket at her most vulnerable, her stomach cut open, you stolen, her left dying on the grass near the lab, you taken to some underground training facility where god knows happened, her last wish telling me to find you... Damn it..." He turned away, shaking.

Mudpuppy turned, looking at his training sympathetically. "Clint..."

Clint replied shakily. "I-I'm fine..." He sniffled, scrubbing his face. Then he turned back to them, trying to make the tears stop falling. "Just every time I think I can get through that, I break down again." He gave a sad laugh. "There goes my credibility, huh?"

Mudpuppy looked down, a sad growl leaving his mouth.

Clint looked at Dante, trying to regain his composure. "THAT...is the first time I really thought about killing someone, to let you know..." He gulped down the lump in his throat.

"How sad," Rocket sniffled.

Dune buried his face on Dante's pant leg and cried. Zapper bit back sobs. Talon sighed, shaking his head in embarrassment for his teammates' sappy reactions.

Dante looked at Clint. _Could that be true? Was Wildfire...made this way by Team Rocket? Is that why he kills the Rocket members we come across?_

Gale looked at Wildfire curiously, not sure whether to believe Clint or not. The Pidgeotto suddenly jumped back with a loud squawk of fear. Wildfire's tail flame had turned from its usual orange to a blazing white color. With a snarl, the Charmeleon unleashed a blast of fire at the grass at Clint's feet.

"Knock it off with all this sappy stuff! It's not going to make me believe you, moron! I know you're just lying! Sure, I was willing to go along with it at first since you seemed so desperate...but now you're just pissing me off."

The fire was quickly put out by a splash of water from Mudpuppy's mouth.

"Your mother didn't like the sappy crap either, you know..." Clint laughed a little. "She'd always hit me over the head, telling me to toughen up. Wildfire, you can't lie to me. I see it in your eyes... You _were_ trained somewhere...and it _was_ hell... You weren't raised in some sort of Starter Lab, bred in captivity, oh no...and you can't tell me otherwise..."

"What happened to me doesn't matter right now! The stupid lies coming from your filthy mouth do!" Wildfire hissed. "It's one thing to lie behind my back, but to my face? You must have a death wish."

"But Wildfire, what if he's right?" Rocket asked.

"He's not! And you're a moron if you believe him!" the Charmeleon declared.

Mudpuppy sighed. "You got a lot to learn, boy. You're impressive, that's no surprise to me, but you got plenty to learn..."

_Oh no! Wildfire's getting really mad! What do I do? He might try to kill Clint if this keeps up,_ Dante thought fearfully.

"Why else do you think I'm going to the top?" Wildfire snarled. "If you don't get strong, you'll be trampled on by those that are! And I refuse to be trampled on!"

"So you kill or hurt everyone else instead?" Talon accused.

"Good, that's what I want to hear from you," Mudpuppy admitted. Then his expression darkened. "However, killing doesn't make you stronger..."

"Shut up! What do you know? All you did was toss a few Pokemon around," Wildfire growled.

"Which was totally cool, by the way," Zapper added.

"Oh, he knows plenty," Clint said, smiling. "Want to know why he's giving you this advice?"

"To add on to your lies? I'm not believing them, you know!" Wildfire reminded. "You're just trying to stop me from getting to the top! Keep it up and I'll kill you. I've already killed my first trainer. Killing you and your fat fish-dog buddy won't even make me break a sweat!"

"Don't matter if you believe me or not, it's the truth. Which is why I say to you, Wildfire..." Clint motioned a hand to Mudpuppy. "Meet daddy..."

Mudpuppy cracked his neck.

"D-d-daddy?" Rocket squeaked.

_No way,_ Dante thought.


	4. Chapter 3: Bonds, Forged and Broken

So yeah, my computer died recently. I am unable to update any of my usual stuff until next week when my new computer is set up and my junk is put onto it. Since this story is present on my school laptop (which is what I'm typing on right now), I decided to work on this a bit.

See if you can spot the reference to another of Pokemon's infamous creepypasta…

DISCLAIMER: Clint, Mudpuppy, Liz, and Puddy belong to CHIKARAfiction. The plot of this whole AU thing also belongs to him. Pokemon belongs to GameFreak, Nintendo, and such.

CLAIMER: I own the concept and characters of Bloody Red Version. No stealing!

NOTE: When you think of Puddy's voice, think Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. That's the kind of voice Puddy has.

Chapter 3: Bonds, Forged and Broken

"...Dude, you have the best dad in the world!" Zapper declared.

"Even scarier..." Dune whined, returning to hiding.

"...You know what? Forget taking him. Can you just, I dunno, crush him or something? Please?" Talon asked, putting his wings together as if in prayer.

"...Now you're definitely lying," Wildfire growled, falling into an attack stance. "I'm sick of you. Prepare to die."

"Oh dear," Gale backed up, getting out of range.

Mudpuppy sighed. "As stubborn as your mother..."

Clint smiled, nodding. "I know right? And you too, a little."

"Yeah that's—HEY!" Mudpuppy snapped his head around and glared at his trainer.

"Just because I tell you something that puts your mind into doubt, you want to kill me?" Clint asked, facing Wildfire again. "A tad extreme but, then again, I unfortunately couldn't find you fast enough to get you out of wherever they took you. That's my fault..."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Mudpuppy pointed out. "You didn't sleep for a week when she first told you."

Clint frowned, glaring at the grass. "I shouldn't have slept for _two_. It might have made the difference..."

"I'm fine the way I am. Why should I change just because you told me some crap sob story?" Wildfire growled.

_Wildfire's really going to kill them!_ Dante thought, frightened.

Clint shrugged, unafraid. "I'm not asking you to change. Oh yeah, you're fine! Killing Pokemon in cold blood, making your trainer fear for his life and everyone else around you… Yep, sounds fine to me!"

"If it gets me to the top, I'm fine with it," Wildfire replied. "The rest of you can burn for all I care."

"Is that what they burned into your mind in your most infantile stages? Getting to the top?" Clint demanded. "Sounds like it..."

"Nobody burned nothing into my mind! This is my own decision! Quit turning me into a victim! I'm not!" Wildfire snarled, his tail flame growing in size and brightness with his anger. "I'm strong...and getting stronger still. And when I get to the top, I'll be the strongest ever!"

Clint sighed, looking up. "Soooooooo much like your mother! Seriously, perfect duplicate of that dense gene..."

"I said...stop...LYING!" Wildfire unleashed a huge blast of flame, aiming to burn Clint to a crisp.

_Look out!_ Dante tried to scream, only for in-game character muteness to come in play...again.

Mudpuppy just stuck out a hand, blocking it. There was barely a singe mark on his hand. "That temper's gonna get you killed at some point, boy..." he warned lowly.

"Not before it kills you first, fatty," Wildfire growled angrily, smoke curling up from his jaws. He shot forward, claws ripping and tearing at the Swampert. "If I beat you, then I'll be one step closer to the top!"

_This is insane! Someone's going to get killed!_ Dante thought

The Swampert just caught him in a fist, just about covering Wildfire's entire body. "Now you're my son, so I ain't gonna kill you. But I _can_ stop you. You ain't killin' anybody. Not Clint, not your trainer, and none of the Pokemon on your team. You can try and attack me all you want. I've gone toe to toe with your mom, who was one of the strongest Pokemon alive if I ever saw one. I fear nothing, _including_ your petty threats. You can get to the top all you like, but you ain't killing. Got that?"

"I'll do whatever I want, 'DAD'!" Wildfire snarled. "You can't control me. If I was _really_ your son, then how'd I get lost to start with? Wouldn't you have done _anything_ and_ everything_ to get me back? Or is your so-called 'LOVE' not strong enough for that to happen?!"

"Does leveling the entire lab that took you count!?" Mudpuppy snarled.

"Yet here I am, apparently not the son you dreamed of having," Wildfire smirked.

"Does worrying about you every day count? Does wanting to rip in half who took you, who killed her, DOES THAT COUNT!?" Mudpuppy roared.

"Yet you didn't do it. That makes you weak," Wildfire accused.

Mudpuppy chuckled, amused. "Oh you're _plenty_ the son I dreamed of! You're strong, powerful, and ready to topple anyone that comes in your path…but you are also arrogant, brash, and unaware of your current limitations. Like I said, plenty to learn, but it's not impossible. And listen closely to me, son. I haven't found them yet, but I'm gonna. And if you thought what I did to them three over there was bad... Those guys, they're gonna have to write a_ book_ just to explain exactly what's gonna happen to them!"

"So you plan to kill anyway? So much for not being allowed to kill anyone. You tell me I can't yet you plan to do just that yourself. Hypocrite," Wildfire chuckled darkly.

Gale spread his wings, taking to the sky and circling just above Mudpuppy. "Regardless of your connection with Wildfire, if said connection even_ truly_ exists, you're getting in our way. I suggest you back out, fish-dog. The consequences won't be pretty if you stand your ground," the Pidgeotto warned.

"See, 'dad'? I don't need you. I have myself and Gale and the rest of my 'friends'. You're not necessary. You came here for NOTHING. Get it now?" Wildfire said, a twisted and toothy smile crossing his face.

_That Swampert... He's not as weak as you think, Wildfire. He's strong for not killing those people,_ Dante thought.

"There's a difference between killing the innocent and killing those who deserve to be killed," Mudpuppy explained. "The ones who killed my wife, took you, made my life a living hell... Can you tell me they deserve to breathe? A wild Pokémon has done nothing to me to deserve a penalty such as death. I'm a lot smarter than you give me credit for, son."

The Swampert looked up at Gale.

"As for you, Fly—" Gale glared at him in response to that name. "—I ain't gonna get in your way, but can't ya see I'm trying to have a nice little 'heart to heart' with my son here?"

The tone he said that to Gale in is exactly like Wildfire... That sarcastic tone Wildfire loves to use…

"Well, apparently your 'son' cares little for your 'heart to heart', fish-dog," Gale mocked.

"You couldn't save me, you couldn't save my 'mom'... What makes you think you can save anyone, 'dad'? What gives you the RIGHT to save anyone? Huh?" Wildfire said coldly, tail flame dimming. "I don't NEED you to save me. I'm fine how and where I am right now. Nothing's wrong with me. I'm just doing what I do best—getting stronger, no matter what the consequences may be. Understand yet, 'dad'? Whatever you came here for, you won't be getting it. Not now, not ever."

_This isn't solving anything. All they're doing is fighting,_ Dante thought. He looked at Clint. _What's he hoping to achieve with this?_

"You say that now. You know, it's amazing how much you sound like your mother," Mudpuppy admitted with a chuckle. Then his face became stern and serious again. "Just know if you try and kill again, you're gonna find yourself in the same predicament. And by the way, I know I couldn't save your mom and I know I couldn't save you. Even the BEST...can fall, and it sounds like you want to find that out the hard way."

He put Wildfire down. Clint has just been calmly staring the whole time. Wildfire backed away from the Swampert. Gale landed beside him, glaring at Mudpuppy.

"So, what? Are you just going to stalk me for the rest of my life or something, 'dad'?" the Charmeleon chuckled.

"Don't tempt him. I won't be surprised if he really would do that," Gale muttered darkly.

Clint laughed at the thought. "He won't have to stalk you... You know, this little adventure of getting to the top sounds fun! I think I just might have to join the ride..."

_What?!_ Dante thought, shocked.

"You're kidding, right? Can't you just take him and go, please?" Talon begged, looking from Clint to Wildfire and back.

"Sweet! Fish-dog's coming with us!" Zapper cried.

Dune merely whimpered, hiding again.

"...You're joking," Wildfire said through grit teeth.

"Warned you," Gale said, exasperated.

"Look, you can get to the top all you want...but the way you are doing it, you're going to destroy your team and yourself..." Clint pointed out.

"If I destroy myself and them, then that's what happens. Who cares?" Wildfire shrugged. "I sure don't. If that's as far as I get, then I guess I wasn't destined to go any farther. But I'm pretty sure that won't happen. I'll reach the top. Just you watch." The Charmeleon smirked triumphantly.

Clint walked over to Dante and whispered silently into his ear, "I'm going to make the killing stop, one way or the other. I promise you that."

_I've tried stopping the killing by myself. What can you do that I haven't?_ Dante wondered, looking at the other boy. _Yeah, you have his dad. Yeah, you can talk. That doesn't mean you can win..._

Clint just stared at him and smiled a bit. "Twelve years, Dante... I've already been to hell and back more than once. You're new at this. That's not an insult either. I'm just saying, I've had a lot happen in my life that I've survived that makes this look easy."

_Can he read my mind or something?!_ Dante wondered, looking at Clint in shock.

Clint smirked. "I can read your eyes. By the way...do you want that muteness fixed?"

_Would I ever?_ Dante thought, nodding quickly.

"You can make Dante talk again?" Rocket asked.

"You won't hurt him, right? You'll regret it if you do, dude!" Zapper threatened, sparks leaping from his cheeks.

"Okay," Clint put his hands up. "I'll be honest with you guys because I'm an honest guy and you seem like cool Pokémon. It's gonna _look_ like Dante's in pain, but I was the same way when I got my muteness fixed. He'll be fine after a minute, promise."

"He better be," Talon said, feathers puffed.

"Dante won't die, right?" Dune whimpered, looking up at Clint fearfully.

"No, bud," Clint smiled, patting Dune's head. "It won't kill him, promise. Heart crossed and everything."

Dune flinched beneath the touch but relaxed after a moment. "...Okay. You're scary...but I'll trust you...because Dante does."

"That's a lot of trust, coming from Dune," Zapper commented.

_Yeah, it is,_ Dante nodded in agreement.

"Okay..." Clint lifted Dante's chin to see his throat. "Usually what is needed is a big jolt to the vocal chords, so just brace yourself, alright?"

_Do I have a choice?_ Dante thought sarcastically.

"Hope this works… That Fearow looks like he could kick the crap out of me!" Clint admitted nervously.

He held out two fingers, his index and middle, and thrust them right into Dante's throat with force. Dante instantly choked from the pain, leaping away to clutch his aching throat.

"Th...uck?!" Dante choked painfully.

"Dante talked!" Dune cried.

"Kinda," Talon corrected.

Dante coughed heavily. "Ow... That hurt, you know!" Dante's voice was a bit raspy but getting clearer with each cough.

Clint shrugged lightly. "I told you it would. It did to me. Told you to brace yourself but, hey, it worked."

"It still hurt," Dante complained, eyes watering from the dulling pain. "Ow..."

"Yay! Dante talks!" Dune cried.

"Mew be praised!" Zapper exclaimed.

"About time," Talon nodded.

"Hooray!" Rocket cheered.

The Wartortle hugged Dante, quickly followed by the rest of his normal team. Talon, of course, perched on his back.

"Talon, you're heavy! Get off!" Dante cried, struggling beneath the big bird.

"My bones are hollow! How am I heavy? Would you rather the fish-dog jumped on your back?" Talon questioned.

"He'd turn me into a pancake!" Dante argued.

"Then deal with it! At least I love you!" the Fearow cawed triumphantly.

Dante stopped complaining, accepting the hugs from his four companions.

"Oh, great! Now he can talk again," Wildfire grumbled. "He's easier to put up with when he's silent."

"Agreed," Gale nodded, shifting his stance.

Mudpuppy groaned, arms crossed over his chest in slight annoyance. "I have a_ name_, you know... Mudpuppy, if you'd please use it..."

"Odd, but okay. Mudpuppy, not fish-dog. I was close," Talon commented. "Dog, puppy. Fish, mud. Pretty much the same thing."

_It's nowhere near close,_ Dante thought, laughing. "Thanks, Clint, for letting me talk again. You don't know how much I hated being mute."

"Trust me, I hated it too...but again, silent movie... THAT was funny... Fighting a trainer where I just silently shout insults at them with a bunch of hand motions... Their faces made it worth it." Clint laughed.

"Not if you're stuck in a glitchy game with bloodthirsty Pokemon, it's not," Dante pointed out. "It was hell. I couldn't fight back most of the time. All I could do was try to hold my team together."

"Yeah, it sucked," Zapper agreed.

"Viridian Forest was the worst by far," Talon agreed.

"We lost a few friends because of Wildfire and Gale," Rocket finished. "They decided the box was safer than being with us."

"And they used me as bait for a Pidgeotto!" Zapper complained. "I nearly died!"

"Well, that's not fair to them..." Clint smiled a bit. "Hey... You know, one of my friends almost died from a Pidgeotto attack when I first met him, too, but he came out okay."

"I got scars, but I'm good. Hate Pidgeottos, though." Zapper looked at Gale fearfully.

"I got these scars from Wildfire in Viridian Forest, too." Dante pointed to the thin claw marks on his cheek. "I tried to crush their Poke Balls. As you can tell, it didn't work out as planned."

"He hated Pidgeottos for quite awhile too...but, you know, coming out the other end, I think, made him stronger... Would you like to meet him? Since you are fresh out of Viridian Forest, I think Gale will get a kick out of hearing it's a Caterpie…" Clint paused briefly. "Since I take it you killed plenty of them..."

"Wildfire and Gale killed plenty of them. The rest of us don't kill. Just them," Talon corrected, frowning. "…Though we'd gladly make exception for those two."

"Yeah," Zapper nodded, glaring at Gale.

"Too bad that won't be happening. You'll be dead before you have a chance to try going after me," Wildfire threatened.

"Admit it. You can't defeat either of us. We're both stronger than you, evolutions disregarded," Gale added. "You will lose. Simple as that."

"Well, since I think there's been so much anger and threatening and fighting, I think Puddy would be a great change of pace..." Clint paused once more. "Again, a Caterpie…"

"At least Mudpuppy can maybe keep Wildfire reigned in. As for Gale..." Talon shrugged.

"Well, bring him out! I want to meet this guy!" Zapper exclaimed.

"Might as well make new friends," Dante agreed.

"Okay!" Clint took out the Poke Ball, smiling. "Come on out, Puddy!"

The Poke Ball exploded...and there's a Caterpie... Not a regular Caterpie though. This Caterpie was HUGE... Clint could ride on its head and it rivaled Mudpuppy in size. It blinked and looked down, beaming. With a small voice, which you wouldn't expect, it spoke.

"Hi, Clint!"

"Puddy!" Clint patted his side.

"...Awesome!" Zapper dashed forward, hugging the massive Caterpie. "You're my new best friend, dude!"

The Caterpie flinched back from the hug. "Oh um ...h-hello." He sounded almost like Dune...

"...Why do you have so many strange Pokemon?" Talon asked.

"...That's not normal..." Dante said, frightened.

"Great, _another_ weirdo," Wildfire grumbled.

"How did a Caterpie get that big? Is that what happens when you don't kill them while they're tiny?" Gale wondered, genuinely curious.

Clint grinned proudly. "See, Puddy here was a regular-sized Caterpie when I found him, when he got attacked. Funny thing is, he wouldn't evolve. Not once did it even show him trying to evolve into a Metapod, even way past the required level. Puddy thought something was wrong, but I kept him in my team…and kept him... Then I started noticing something. He was getting bigger...and bigger...and bigger. I never took him out of my party because with his size came monster strength... That's how a Caterpie becomes a Pokemon League Hall of Famer..."

"...Wow," Dante said. "That's cool."

"Well, he's definitely not bird food anymore," Talon chuckled.

"I love this guy! He's huge!" Zapper cried.

"Biiiiiiiiiig," Dune said in awe, peering out from behind Dante's leg.

"Dune, get over here!" the Pikachu cried.

"O-o-okay," Dune wandered out into view, scampering over to Puddy and Zapper. "H-h-h-hi?"

Puddy looked down. "Um... H-Hi?"

"Don't be scared, buddy! They're new friends!" Clint reassured.

"Oh," Puddy nodded. "...R-really?"

"Absolutely," Clint promised.

"..." Then Puddy beamed. "Then hi!" He bent down. "It's n-nice to meet you..."

"N-nice to meet you too. You're really big," Dune said softly, smiling.

"See? I told you he was cool, dude!" Zapper cried, hopping about joyfully.

Puddy's eyes grew shiny with wonder. "I'm...c-cool?"

"Ugh! Affection! I think I might vomit," Wildfire groaned, disgusted.

Gale lifted his wings in sudden defense. "If you must vomit, please do it in the other direction," the Pidgeotto suggested.

Wildfire smirked mischievously. "Why? Scared of a little puke?"

"Not usually but if it's on me, yes," Gale nodded.

"Really cool, dude!" Zapper cried, smiling up at Puddy.

"He's a lot like Dune," Dante chuckled. "It's kinda cute."

Puddy smiled. "Oh...t-thanks! You're nice!"

"No problem, dude! Anytime!" Zapper laughed.

"You're not _that_ scary. You're nice," Dune decided, smiling at Puddy.

"See? I told you, bud," Clint said with a smile.

Wildfire promptly started gagging. Gale squawked, dashing away. Wildfire chased him, latching onto a tree trunk when Gale flew up onto an out-of-reach branch.

"Damn it!" the Charmeleon hissed. "Almost had him!"

Clint looked to Dante. "See? Not all of my Pokemon are like Mudpuppy. I promise you that..."

"That's good to know. How did you get a Gen 3 Pokemon in a Gen 1 game?" Dante asked.

Clint sighed, looking up at the sky. "In a world like this... One that doesn't follow the rules... Things happen..." _Like Charmander using Thief…_

"Then why have I only seen Gen 1 Pokemon so far?" Dante asked.

"Well, so far, the land's given to you in Gen 1, like the original game... This is the_ first_ region, after all. Regions could still come into play here," Clint pointed out.

"I guess you're right," Dante admitted.

"Well, _those two_ are having fun," Talon said aloud, indicating Wildfire and Gale's chase.

"That guy's SERIOUSLY your kid?" Zapper asked, looking at Mudpuppy.

"Damn it! Get down here!" Wildfire hissed.

Gale merely waved his tail feathers, safely out of reach.

Mudpuppy nodded. "Yep... I know what a kid from Liz would be like... There wasn't another woman like her, that's for sure..."

Clint looked at the Swampert, who seemed to have gone still as granite. "Mudpuppy!"

Mudpuppy snapped back to attention military-style. "Yes, ma'm—huh?" He paused, looking around as if he were lost. Then he rubbed his head in embarrassment. "...Sorry... Blacked out there..."

"That's obvious," the Pikachu snickered.

"What was she like? Wildfire's mom? I don't think you're lying," Rocket said, looking up at the larger starter.

Mudpuppy sighed, hand returning to his side. "She was like Wildfire in a lot of ways... She didn't kill for fun, though. But she fought like no one you'd ever seen... I think it took...fifty Team Rocket members to actually subdue her...at the peak of being pregnant with her son, no less... Stubborn, like Wildfire. Always thought her way was the right one... All the time, I'd fight with that woman... It was wonderful..."

"Love's weird..." Clint whispered stealthily to Dante.

"She sounds nice," Dune said, looking up at the other Pokemon. "You're scary...but nice. Wildfire's really mean. Maybe you can make him nice?"

"It'll take a lot to do that to Wildfire," Talon said, shaking his head. "I doubt it can be done, honestly."

"If anyone could change Wildfire, it has to be his parents...or parent," Dante admitted.

"I like challenges..." Clint admitted with a smirk.

"That's obvious, since you tried to get him to kill you," Talon reminded.

"After all...technically, I'm his uncle, deemed by Liz to be given such an honor..." Clint rolled his eyes. "Seriously...every time Wildfire talks, I hear Liz..."

"Is it really an honor if he's like that?" Dante asked, indicating Wildfire's efforts to get a hold of Gale in the tree.

"He's that much like her?" Talon asked. "Scary..."

Clint looked at the other trainer. "Dante...Wildfire's been through a lot... I can tell, I really can... I don't know exactly what yet...but I know it was bad. He's been whipped, hardened, given one mindset... He still has Liz's attitude, but it's been warped by thoughts of killing and violence... But her last wish...was to find him and make sure he's alright... He isn't alright, no matter how much he says he is. ...I at least have to try my best...for her..."

"Then I'll help, if I can," Dante said. "He's been an ass to us, but if he's supposed to be a good guy... Meh, I guess we can lend a hand."

"Me too!" Zapper cried.

"I-I'll help," Dune stuttered nervously.

"And I the same to you... As I said, he won't be killing anymore," Clint vowed.

"We can all help. Right?" Rocket asked.

"Everyone part of the Reform Wildfire Committee, say 'aye'," Talon joked.

"AYE!" Dante, Dune, Zapper, and Rocket cried.

"...I was joking. But, eh, whatever. Aye," the Fearow shrugged.

Clint cracked a smile. "...I like you guys, a lot." He laughed.

"Good, 'cause you're going to be stuck with us for a while, it seems," Dante reminded.

"If you don't like us, too bad. You're stuck with us," Talon said, smirking. "But..."

"But what?" Zapper asked, looking at the big bird.

"We kinda have...a problem with our plan," Talon admitted.

"What's the plan? I'm all ears," Clint prompted.

"Well...Wildfire ain't going to listen to us. He made that clear to you and Mudpuppy, yeah?" Talon reminded.

"Yeah?" Clint nodded.

"So...why not get his only buddy to hear us out?" Talon suggested nervously.

"Gale? He'll kill us if we try to touch him!" Zapper cried. "I'll help Wildfire but not Gale! He tried to kill me!"

"Wildfire tried to kill all of us," Rocket reminded.

"Gale's different to me! You know that!" the Pikachu argued.

"...I know," the Wartortle admitted.

"But we have to try," Dante muttered. "Anything at all could work. We have to try."

"...I notice Gale's...a bit...less," Clint commented. "We definitely could at some point..."

There's something ruffling in Clint's coat. It's been quiet up to this point.

"Uh... You got a tumor or something?" Zapper asked.

"Tumors don't move," Talon pointed out. "And THAT is definitely moving."

"Clint... What's in your coat?" Dante asked nervously.

"Gale's a bit less...what?" Rocket asked, curious.

"Less…violent with words, at least. He seems to look to Wildfire with how to react with things," Clint finished. "And… Ooooh...right, I forgot. I have another friend... I was kind of hiding him because...he doesn't usually make a really good first impression..."

"You didn't make a good first impression either. How much worse can this guy make his?" Talon noted.

"Gale seems more like a...robot. He doesn't get emotional or change his tone much. He's just kinda...monotonous," Dante admitted. "But he can get mad and he sides with Wildfire all the time. I think he and Wildfire knew each other before they joined my team 'cause they were on friendly terms...if you call those two 'friendly'."

"I wouldn't," Zapper argued.

"His first impression is more of an...appearance... I mean, I can bring him out, no problem. Just...can you guys try very hard not to...react the way you should when you see him?" Clint asked nervously.

"React the way we...should?" Dante repeated, baffled. "What way is that?"

Clint rubbed the back of his neck, looking awkward. "Usually a scream of terror... This is one of those 'don't judge a book by its cover' things..."

Talon shrugged. "No promises."

"We can try," Rocket said.

"I won't," Zapper promised.

"Should I hide then?" Dune asked.

"We promise," Dante reassured.

"...Ok..." Clint looked in his coat. "Looks like they're gonna meet you then... Come on out, bud..."

A form crawled out of Clint's coat and perched himself on the boy's shoulder. It was a Pikachu...but definitely not an ordinary one. Instead of yellow fur, it was a sickly grey. One ear was missing a piece out of it and its tail was a little tattered. Though...what it really was…was the face... It had a giant, ear-to-ear sharp-toothed grin along with round, white eyes.

"...Yeah...um..." Clint cleared his throat. "This is Zeechu..."


	5. Chapter 4: Regaining Control

**DISCLAIMER:** We do not own the creepypasta "Snow on Mt. Silver". That belongs to its owner. CHIKARAfiction merely referenced it and has made use of a character from it, Zeechu. Clint, Mudpuppy, Liz, and Puddy belong to CHIKARAfiction, along with the plot of this story. Pokemon belongs to GameFreak and Nintendo.

**CLAIMER:** The Bloody Red Version cast is mine. No stealing!

Pokemon: Bloody Red Version

The AU Story

Chapter 4: Regaining Control

Talon froze, feathers rising in defense. Dune instantly hid. Zapper froze before slowly hiding with Dune. Rocket swallowed back his fear.

"H-hi, Zeechu," Dante greeted shakily. _Well, none of us have screamed yet._

"Yeah... That's good, at least..." Clint said.

"..." Zeechu made a noise, sort of in a whisper. His mouth did not unclench. "Chaaaaaa..."

Clint frowned. "Oh, quit scaring them."

Zeechu turned his head.

"Don't give me that look," Clint scolded.

Zeechu's face didn't change.

Clint nodded, lips pursed like a stern parent's. "Yes, that one. They are our friends. Now behave."

Clint scratched the top of the strange Pikachu's head. Zeechu immediately opened his mouth and chomped it...or so it would seem. A moment later, you could see Zeechu was just playfully gnawing.

"Yeah, yeah…" Clint scratched under the Electric-type's chin.

Talon fell over in a dead faint. Rocket backed up, terrified. Dante forced himself to laugh.

"How cute," the trainer shakily said.

"There's a...slight reason he's like this..." Clint admitted. "Dante...are you familiar with...Snow on Mt. Silver?"

"The creepypasta? Yeah. Why?" Dante replied, confused.

"...It was real… Real game, real event..." He pointed to Zeechu. "Meet the star... Yes...that technically means that...Zeechu is...eheh..." Clint scratched the back of his head, whistling.

"He's a glitch, just like Gale and..." Dante trailed off. _Can I technically call Wildfire a glitch anymore? I mean, he has parents._

"Yes...I found that game... Since in the creepypasta, it was not destroyed, I researched where it went. Soon enough, it was used again and I was able to get it off of...the unfortunate next viewer... Quite an interesting little thing... Turns out all Zeechu wanted was to escape his hell...and he did..." Clint petted Zeechu. Zeechu leaned into it. He still hadn't changed expression. "Oh and...he rarely...ever stops grinning..."

"I can tell," Dante said nervously.

Clint sighed. "There's one surefire way...if you mention _snow_..."

Zeechu froze and the grin was gone. His face looked so...empty now and he sort of huddled up on Clint's shoulder. Clint petted him reassuringly. "Hey, buddy... There isn't any here. It's alright..."

"So, he scared of...you know?" Dante dodged the word 'snow'. "Poor guy. He'd hate our world in winter then, huh?"

"..." Clint cleared his throat again. "Yeah, cold in general. Warm weather, he eats up."

"If I were stuck in a cold place for that long, I would too," Dante admitted.

"D-don't worry, guys," Puddy said. "I know Zeechu... He's scary to look at but trust me...h-he's nice."

"I h-hope s-so," Dune whimpered.

"I'll take your word for it, buddy," Zapper shakily said.

Zeechu unhuddled and gained back his grin, then spotted Zapper... The grin faded again. He hopped off Clint's shoulder and went over to the other Pikachu, studying him…just sort of staring.

Zapper froze. "Uh... What's he doing?" he whimpered.

"..." Zeechu spoke in that hushed whisper of a voice again. "...Forgive me... Sometimes I just...forget...what I used to look like..."

"...Oh..." Zapper said.

"..." Zeechu gained back his grin again. "Sssssorry... Scaring is what I'm good at now..."

"That's for sure..." Clint agreed. "At least you're happy..."

"I can tell," Zapper said.

"Yeah," Dante nodded. "You think all those creepypasta are real?"

Clint shrugged. "Well...at least that one was...said proof right there."

"I can understand...if you don't want to be friends with meeeee..." Zeechu's grin faltered just slightly, but he kept it.

"No, I like having friends!" Zapper denied, suddenly feeling bad. "You're pretty cool...in a scary way. Scary cool, you know? It's the new...you know, cool."

"...I think sssssso..." Zeechu replied.

"Sweet!" Zapper said, smirking.

Talon groaned, sitting up from his faint. "I had the worst nightmare ever. I saw a—" He spotted Zeechu. "...Not a dream..."

"As I say to everyone, and literally _everyone_, you get used to him," Clint promised, smiling.

"I don't think I will," Talon doubted.

"I hope so," Dante admitted, smiling at Clint.

"Hey, guys! When are we going to the Gym?" Wildfire suddenly called. "I'm sick of just sitting around here! I want some action!"

"The Gym? Already?!" Dante yelped.

"Why not?" Wildfire asked.

"Pretty confident for a Fire-type going into a Gym filled with Water-types…" Clint commented.

"Nothin' wrong with that, so long as he's ready," Mudpuppy said.

"I'm always ready, 'dad'," Wildfire growled.

"Water-types? Sweet! This is my gym!" Zapper called.

"I hope Misty isn't like Brock. I'm sick of being treated like some criminal," Dante muttered.

"Well... I mean, it sounds like Wildfire and Gale have built up the reputation. Hopefully, that can be where it stops..." Clint pointed out hopefully.

"I hope so," Dante whimpered. "You have no idea how horrible it was to be treated like that, especially when I couldn't even defend myself thanks to being mute. It sucked."

"I understand, definitely. Feel kind of bad I didn't get here sooner...but...I'm here now." Clint smiled. "That's what counts."

"How could you have? I'm just glad you showed up at all," Dante admitted, smiling.

"Come on! Are we going or what?!" Wildfire shouted. He was standing on Nugget Bridge, Gale by his side.

Dante sighed. "Let's go, yeah?"

"Sure thing!" Clint went along Nugget Bridge, looking around at the damage. "Yeesh...Wildfire and Gale sure did a number here..."

"I almost drowned here an hour or two ago," Dante admitted. "Talon evolved and saved me, though."

"Of course I saved you. You're my friend, Dante," the Fearow said.

"Got to love those timely evolutions, don't you?" Clint grinned.

"Yeah," Dante nodded. Then he froze. "...Wildfire kills any trainer Pokemon he battles. He steals any new ones because he wants me to have strong Pokemon for teammates. What are we going to do about that in the Gym, Clint?"

"Maybe Mudpuppy could stop him? I mean, he IS Wildfire's dad, after all," Zapper suggested.

"In the middle of a Gym battle? Isn't that illegal?" Talon asked.

"I have a plan…" Clint leaned close and whispered, "Let Wildfire steal the Pokemon. I'll sneak them back afterward. I'm going to guess you don't use stolen Pokémon. He'll be none the wiser in that case."

"I'd rather he didn't steal them at all," Dante whispered back, frightened. "And what do we do about him killing everything else?"

Clint smirked knowingly. "He'll learn one way or the other that he's not going to kill. I'm pretty sure Gym and Trainer battle regulations say nothing about interfering if the Pokémon's ready to kill the other one. All they have to do is recall it back and we'll back off. Fight continues… If the Pokemon is unable to battle, the fight's over. If he or Gale move in for a kill, interfering should be no problem because the fight's over."

"But I've never tried recalling Wildfire to his Poke Ball while I've been dreaming, like this," Dante exclaimed. "What if it doesn't work?!"

"Same goes for Gale," Talon pointed out.

Clint groaned, slapping his face. "I mean, for the other trainer to recall their Pokemon. Once they're in the Poke Ball, they'll be safe. Once they're safe, the battle can continue, whether Wildfire likes it or not."

"But who's going to stop Wildfire or Gale while the trainer recalls their Pokemon?" Dante asked.

"Did you forget the massive Swampert walking behind me?" Clint asked.

"That'd be me..." Mudpuppy confirmed.

"...I guess that could work," Dante muttered, giving in. "I just hope it works..."

"I've had Mudpuppy since Ruby version. He's been with me on plenty and faced plenty. An irritated Charmeleon and Pidgeotto are nothing…" Clint reassured.

"I guess," Dante admitted.

"It's better than nothing," Talon said, shrugging.

"Good luck stopping them, dude," Zapper wished, looking up at the Swampert.

Mudpuppy smirked. "Oh, I know I can stop them, but thank you anyway."

"Be careful," Dune whimpered, still frightened by the larger Pokemon but giving his good luck too.

"We're counting on you," Rocket said.

Puddy nudged Dune from behind. "Don't worry. M-Mudpuppy's really, really good..."

"I h-hope so," Dune said softly, clinging to Dante's leg. "'Cause Wildfire's really, really bad. Gale, too."

The Cerulean Gym loomed ahead of them. Wildfire and Gale were waiting at the entrance. "Mew, you guys are slow!" the Charmeleon complained.

"We're here, aren't we, Mr. Impatient?" Clint taunted playfully.

"Whatever, lying moron," Wildfire growled.

Dante sighed. "Wildfire..."

"What?!" the Charmeleon barked.

"I... You're not killing or stealing anymore! I won't allow it!" Dante declared bravely.

"...Huh?" Wildfire looked at Dante, bored. "Gale, did he say something?"

"No killing or stealing," Gale repeated.

"I'll stop stealing. You never swap out anyone, anyway," Wildfire said, yawning. "But the other thing...? Nah! I think I'll keep doing that just to see your reaction." He chuckled cruelly.

"I'm _serious_, Wildfire!" Dante shouted.

"Bold words, Wildfire. We'll see how they hold up," Clint challenged.

"Oh, I'm so scared of two humans. So you can talk. So what? I can still burn you to a crisp," Wildfire reminded, walking into the Gym.

Dante groaned. "So much for being brave. See what I mean? At least he won't steal anymore."

"We'll see how the battle goes..." Clint said.

"I guess," Dante sighed, entering the Gym.

There were two Gym trainers. Misty stood across the Gym, watching them expectantly. Dante flinched when he noticed her look was a glare.

"Guess I'm still a criminal..." He headed toward the first trainer, a Swimmer.

"Look who came in! Mr. Lose Control. You won't go any further," the Swimmer said, calling out a Shellder and a Horsea.

"Zapper, you're in," Dante ordered.

Clint waved to Misty. Misty noticed the odd boy and waved back, confused.

Clint then sat back and watched Dante battle. _Let's see what he can really do._ "...You know, I always liked Shellder. The tongue always made me laugh..."

Zapper unleashed a powerful Thundershock, managing to knock the Shellder down to low health.

"Damn it! See, Clint? The game always leaves them at low health! It's never a KO!" Dante cried.

A second Thundershock left the Horsea in the same state.

"Zapper, get them both in one hit! Hurry!"

"You got it, bo—WHOA!" Zapper yelped as he abruptly shoved aside...falling into the pool with a blast of discharged electricity.

Wildfire smirked. "Sorry, Dante, but a promise is a promise. These guys are mine!" he smirked. He charged, claws ready to slash the pair into ribbons.

"Shit! Stop!" the Swimmer cried

Clint waited... As soon as they hit zero, he looked to Mudpuppy. The second they hit zero, he had got it...

"Damn it! Wildfire, stop!" Dante shouted, tearing out Wildfire's Poke Ball. _Please, work!_

He threw it, praying it hit its mark. Clint watched. If it didn't, Mudpuppy could stop it.

The Poke Ball was JUST about to hit Wildfire and for a second, Dante felt like luck is on his side. He should've known better. At the last second, the Charmeleon whipped around and slammed his tail into the ball, throwing it back...and hitting Dante smack on the forehead with it! Dante yelped, falling flat on his butt.

Wildfire smirked. "Close...but not enough. Sorry, Dante, but I win!"

Wildfire turned back to his objective. The Swimmer struggled to tear his two Poke Balls from his dive belt, desperate to return his Pokemon before it was too late...

_Damn it! That hurt!_ Dante thought, clutching his aching head.

As soon as the 'health bar' hit zero and it's clear they have fainted…before Wildfire can deal a finishing blow…Mudpuppy grabbed him in an instant, yanking him back. "That's enough of that..."

"What the—?! Hey! Let me go!" Wildfire snarled, struggling against the Swampert's grasp.

"You've won. That's enough." Mudpuppy turned to the Swimmer. "You may recall them."

The Swimmer finally got his Poke Balls loose, returning his Pokemon quickly. "Oh, thank Mew!" he said gratefully.

"It's not a win unless they're dead! Then they can't get me back!" Wildfire shouted, struggling even more. "Let me go, dammit!"

_We did it. Wildfire didn't get to kill. It actually works,_ Dante thought, smiling.

Mudpuppy didn't loosen his grip by even a centimeter. "You won, and I said that's enough. You send a statement, they know how powerful you are, and that's enough..."

"No, it's not! Let me go! I'll kill you!" Wildfire threatened, struggling viciously.

Clint shook the Swimmer's hand. "Good battle, man. Sorry about the Charmeleon. He needs anger management..."

The Swimmer smiled gratefully. "Thank you. But...I thought he lost control?"

He looked at Dante, who gave a nervous smile. "Well...I'm trying to get back control now..." Dante admitted.

"With a little help from his friends," Clint added.

"Yeah," Dante nodded.

Mudpuppy put Wildfire down after a minute. "You got the win. You'll have to settle."

"Go burn!" Wildfire snarled, tearing away from Mudpuppy's grip.

"So, next trainer?" Dante asked.

"Why not?" Talon shrugged.

"Let's do it!" Clint cried.

Zapper pulled himself out of the pool. "Thanks for the SAVE, guys!" he said sarcastically.

"You're fine!" Talon said, waving a wing.

"Are you okay?" Dune asked nervously.

"I'm wet and discharged," the Pikachu said, frowning. "...But yeah, I'm okay."

Dante headed down the walkway until he reached the final Gym Trainer. It was a Jr. Trainer female. "I saw what you did there. Is it true?" she asked.

"Definitely," Dante nodded.

"Good! Prove it! Goldeen, go!" she cried.

"Here we go again," Dante muttered. "Zapper, you up for this?"

"Yeah, I'm up for it," Zapper nodded.

Clint watched. _Dante's a great battler. A shame it's hindered by Wildfire's smug attitude..._

After a moment of recharging his sparks, the Pikachu went for the attack. The first Thundershock missed due to the Goldeen's speed, but the second hit its mark. The fish suddenly erupted from the pool, its horn hitting Zapper's chest like a missile. The Pikachu leaped away, yelping in agony. Retaliating with another Thundershock, the fish finally went down to a sliver of health.

"Not again~!" Zapper yelped as he was shoved into the pool.

Wildfire didn't bother talking, lunging in an effort to finish the fish off. Clint nodded to Mudpuppy. As soon as Goldeen fainted, he yanked Wildfire away once again. Wildfire screamed in rage, kicking and clawing at the Swampert in an effort to escape.

The Jr. Trainer quickly pulled out her Poke Ball, returning her Goldeen. "Wow! You really ARE getting back control!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," Dante said.

"All you're doin' is tiring yourself out, son," Mudpuppy commented.

"I don't care! Quit getting in the way!" Wildfire snarled angrily, continuing his struggle.

Mudpuppy shook his head. "Nope. I figure we're gonna end up in the same predicament over and over." He set him down after a moment.

"Then expect to get the same reaction over and over again!" Wildfire growled, pulling away once more.

Clint shook the trainer's hand. "Nice battle! Your Pokemon looked great out there."

"Thanks! That guy yours?" She pointed to Mudpuppy.

"Yeah," Clint nodded. "Big boy, ain't he?"

Mudpuppy shrugged. "No problem with me, really..."

"Never seen a Pokemon like him. Pretty cool!" she complimented.

"So, now we deal with Misty?" Dante asked.

"Yep! I'm sure she's been watching with great interest, too," Clint predicted.

"Indeed, I have. I was expecting a lot of bloodshed and uncontrollable urges," Misty said, smirking from where she stood. "You've surprised me."

"Good to know we managed that much," Dante admitted.

Clint waved. "Hey, Misty. You probably don't know me, but hi, glad to see you again…or…meet you for the first time maybe... 'Hi' is what I'm trying to say here!"

"Okay…" Misty said, not sure how to respond to that. She turned to Dante instead. "Let's get onto the battle."

"Got it! Zapper, let's—? Zapper?" Dante asked.

"He's still in the pool," Talon commented.

"...Damn it," Dante muttered, face-palming.

After fishing Zapper out of the pool and healing him, Dante was ready to continue. Misty sent out her Staryu and Starmie. Talon stepped in on this battle to assist against Starmie.

Zapper's electrical attacks easily knocked the Staryu down to low health. A few Fury Attacks from Talon weakened Starmie to the point where another Thundershock knocked it down. Thankfully, Zapper wasn't tossed in the pool again. Talon managed to pull him out of the way when Wildfire lunged forward one final time.

Again as soon as they hit zero, Mudpuppy snatched him. "Especially for a Gym Leader's Pokemon. Respect their positions..."

"Who cares? They won't matter once I'm at the top!" Wildfire snarled, his struggles weaker this time around from fighting so hard against Mudpuppy during the earlier battles.

Misty smiled, returning her two Pokemon. "Good job. Maybe there's hope for you yet," she said.

"I hope so," Dante agreed.

Clint shook Misty's hand. "Good seeing you again, Misty. I remember when I battled you way back when... I fell into the pool when I did. It was a fun time."

"You did? I've had so many challengers, I can't remember them all. Sorry," Misty chuckled. "Anyhow, here's your Badge and TM. Keep in control, okay?"

"I will," Dante promised, accepting the rewarded items.

"Yeah, well, still good seeing you again," Clint said, grinning triumphantly as they walked away. "One step closer for Dante. And a delightful change of pace—no one died."

"Yeah," Dante nodded. "That's good."

"And I didn't end up in the pool again!" Zapper cried.

"So, that's another Gym down, huh?" Clint asked. "Funny how a lot can change in such a short amount of time, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Dante nodded.

"I hate you all," Wildfire grumbled, going limp in surrender.

Mudpuppy let him go.

Wildfire dropped to the ground, frowning. "I hate you all..."

"Cry me a river Wildfire. You won," Clint reminded. "That's what really matters."

"Go burn," Wildfire snarled.

"Let's head back past Nugget Bridge. I saw more trainers. Maybe we can train there?" Dante suggested.

"But I'm tired! Can't we rest?" Zapper complained.

"It's getting late. Maybe we can set up camp?" Talon suggested.

"Yeeeah..." Clint said, looking away.

Once they got out of the Gym, Clint elbowed Dante, taking him away slightly from the group.

"What?" Dante asked.

Clint whispered, "When you...you know, conk out...I think I can arrange it that you end up at my place instead."

"Uh... why?" Dante asked, suddenly nervous.

"Well, considering we're kind of a team now. I figured, why not? I actually have a big place, so I really don't mind. Also, I'm just going to go by a guess, but you've been doing this alone here and out there as well…aside from your Pokemon friends, of course."

"Jerry went...MIA," Dante admitted. "When Wildfire killed my rival, he went missing in the real world. I've got nobody else but him."

Clint shrugged. "We're friends now and are in this together, if you're up for it. Plus, this way, there's no having to locate when you go back. We're together, so we go back at the same time."

"…It's not like I have anyone else," Dante muttered. "Why not? Sure."

Clint grinned. "Alright! But until then, sure. Let's camp out!"


	6. Chapter 5: The Past Comes A-Calling

More BRV AU junk! But guess what! I'm attempting to get back to canon BRV as well, so look forward to updates for both of these BRV stories!

Yes, I lost track of what time of year in the real world the canon BRV took place in. Just after exams, I believe. So it's now summer break. It's AU, don't question it…

**DISCLAIMER:** Pokemon belongs to Nintendo, Gamefreak, and Satoshi Tajiri. Clint, Mudpuppy, Liz, Puddy, Sean, Missingno, and the voice with golden eyes belongs to CHIKARAfiction.

**CLAIMER:** I own the cast of Bloody Red Version. No stealing!

Chapter 5: The Past Comes A-Calling

Dante led the way out of the Gym, stopping briefly by the Pokemon Center to heal his team, and toward Nugget Bridge where Clint fell out of the sky. "Maybe we'll train tomorrow. It's getting dark out," Dante muttered.

"I think after the big Gym win, your team's earned a night of relaxation," Clint suggested.

"I just hope Wildfire doesn't decide to pull anything," Dante said as they walked toward the tree Gale and Wildfire had chased each other around earlier. "I guess we stay here until...you know."

Rocket, Dune, and Zapper instantly engaged in a game of Tag. Puddy offered a ride to his new friends, taking them once around the clearing. Talon sat up on a branch above the group, preening his feathers. Gale perched silently by Wildfire, who collapsed face-first on the grass a short distance away from the group.

"I hate you all..." Wildfire groaned from his spot, but he did not move.

_Hopefully, he stays there,_ Dante prayed.

Dante sat down at the base of the tree, resting. Clint leaned next to a tree. He looked to Dante.

"It sure is something, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Dante looked up at him in confusion.

"That this place, Pokemon, it all exists for real..." Clint clarified.

"You mean it's not just a dream caused by the game?" Dante asked.

"Did those scratches follow you into the real world?" Clint asked.

"..." Dante reached up to touch the scars on his cheek. "...Yeah..."

Clint smirked. "That's not a dream to me..."

"So what? They could come back to our world?" Dante wondered, frowning. "That's _all_ Wildfire needs—_another_ world to torment me in."

"I'd say it's definitely possible," Clint admitted. "Don't worry. See? After one Gym, Wildfire's starting to realize, to his own ego's annoyance, that he's outmatched a little bit."

"I hope so. I just hope he doesn't decide to take it out on us," Dante said. "...I'm still scared of him, you know. I know you want to reform him and all—I do too—but I don't think...I'll ever be able to forgive him. For anything... For everything..."

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire snorted, letting his eyes slide closed. He was tired.

_If only 'dad' hadn't kept getting in the way. At least Gale didn't see what happened,_ he thought.

.o.o.o.o.

"I don't blame you," Clint said, looking over at the other trainer. "Sounds like he's put you through hell...but Dante...just think about something… When Wildfire really realizes what he's done to everyone, how he's made you all feel... Might sway your mind a little, but I don't blame you if you don't ever completely forgive him…"

"Yeah, I know. He hurt me and Rocket and the others so much. He stole innocent Pokemon from their trainers... He killed all of his opponents..." Dante sighed, lowering his head. "I just hope he realizes what he did was wrong."

"I plan on doing that," Clint vowed.

.o.o.o.o.

There was a breeze that made the grass sway, tickling Wildfire's nose. The fire-breathing lizard ignored the sensation, relaxing. His tail flame dimmed to just a flicker. He was just on the verge of sleep...

.o.o.o.o.

"Good luck," Dante chuckled. "I'll do what I can...but don't rely on me too much."

"Hey, you're still learning the ways of a real life Pokemon experience! I'm here to help, trust me!" Clint grinned.

"Thanks," Dante said, smirking. "...Hey, check it out. I think Wildfire's actually asleep. That's new."

"He tried to tear Mudpuppy's hand off three straight times and failed horribly, which I found hilarious," Clint reminded. "He wore himself out…"

Dante chuckled. "You know...he kinda looks cute when he's asleep. Not as menacing, you know?"

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire finally drifted to sleep. Too bad his sleep was anything but peaceful.

.o.o.o.o.

"..." Clint stared at the snoozing Charmeleon. "Yeah... He's so much like Liz, Dante, you don't even know... I look at him and I see her so much in how he looks..." he said softly.

"Well...I _wouldn't_ know. You might want to talk to Mudpuppy about that, not me," Dante pointed out. "I never knew her."

.o.o.o.o.

_Voices sounded around Wildfire. The first was a woman's._

"_Well, it's true, you big lug. You and I are having a baby..."_

_Another voice rings in. It was clearly Mudpuppy's. "Are you sure, Liz?"_

"_Yes, you idiot, I'm pretty sure something's inside me that wasn't there before." Liz said. "You ask the stupidest questions sometimes..."_

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire twitched in his sleep slightly. Gale shifted his position, looking down at his companion.

"Wildfire?" he wondered.

The Charmeleon kept twitching, but didn't wake up.

.o.o.o.o.

_Further voices... Clint's this time._

"_I knew it! I knew you were pregnant! All this time, I just thought you were getting fat!"_

_A 'bonk' sound was heard._

"_Ow..." Clint whined._

"_I can't wait until this kid's born. First thing I'm gonna teach him is how to whack Uncle Clint on the head," Liz declared._

"_I'm sure you will..." Clint said with a slight laugh._

_There was a snort of amusement from Liz as well._

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire was twitching even more now, whimpering and grunting on occasion. Gale took a step back, unsure of what to do. Talon gazed over briefly but took no notice of the worry appearing on the Pidgeotto's face. Wildfire still did not wake.

.o.o.o.o.

_It went on further…_

"_Ungh, this kid's gonna give me a run for my money," Liz groaned. "It kicks like crazy!"_

"_Can I feel?" Clint asked._

"_Be my guest," Liz replied._

"_...Ooh... Jeez, he will be but, then again, look at the parents!" Clint snickered._

"_I can't wait to see it throw its first boulder," Mudpuppy commented._

"_How about we make the objective _getting it out of me_ first?" Liz reminded sternly._

_Clint laughed. "So, don't know the gender yet?"_

"_No, I want it to be a surprise," Liz admitted. "If a girl, Flare. If a boy...I like Wildfire... Either way, still gonna teach it whacking you on the head, like this."_

_*bonk*_

"_Oof... All the time with you," Clint complained._

"_I like to keep a healthy quota," Liz chuckled lightly._

_Clint laughed. "I have no doubt you'll be a great mom, Liz."_

_Liz laughed too. "I know... You shouldn't."_

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire was trembling, his teeth grit tight. Gale was backing off, unsure of what to do. He was caught between waking Wildfire up himself or calling for help.

Maybe the Swampert? He kept claiming to be Wildfire's dad, after all.

_Oh, what to do?_ the Pidgeotto fretted, frightened for the first time in his life.

.o.o.o.o.

_Then things got rough. Liz started screaming._

"_No! No, you won't take my baby! You hear me?!"_

_Mudpuppy can be heard fighting with all he has, trying to get to her. But whatever they were using to stop him—and it must be _a lot_—it worked. They took her, and then...a voice, a southern...smooth as silk voice... It's terrifying in a way._

"_Now, now, darlin'... There's no point in strugglin'... That kid's gonna be mine and we're gonna do whatever we want with it..."_

"_Go to hell and then come back so I can send you there personally again!" Liz snarled viciously._

"_My, my, my... What a harsh tone you have... We're gonna have to shut that up..."_

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire suddenly started gasping, almost choking. It's like someone's strangling him. Gale stared in fear, rooted to the spot. Was Wildfire...crying? No, impossible! Wildfire would never cry!

_What is happening to him?_ the Pidgeotto wondered fearfully.

.o.o.o.o.

_Then...a sliver...from a knife, as she was cut open. Liz howled in pain as arms grasped out and grab Wildfire, jerking him out of her body._

_Liz cried out. "NO! NOOOOOOOO!"_

_A doctor's voice sounded. "It's a boy…"_

_The voice replied sweetly, "Splendid. The mom is now useless. Dispose of her..."_

_It was dim. Wildfire's eyes weren't quite working...but one thing he made out... Eyes... Those round, piercing, haunting golden eyes…_

"_What was the name she was gonna give you? Wildfire? Well then...Wildfire, welcome to your new life... Your life focused on one little thang... Gettin' to the top... Hehehe... Hahahaha... AHHAHAHA..."_

_The voice took a breath and stared again, voice coming sweetly._

"_Times are gonna be changin' round here, know what I mean? Hmhmhmhmhmmmmhmhmhmmmm..."_

.o.o.o.o.

"W-Wildfire... Wake up!" Gale shrieked, forcing his muscles to work.

He shot forward, slamming his clawed feet against the Fire-type's side. He abruptly lurched away, cawing in agony. Wildfire's body was burning hot, as if he had lava in his veins! Thankfully, the hit seemed enough. Wildfire's eyes snapped open and he lurched forward, a loud scream escaping him. It caught everyone's attention.

"...WILDFIRE?!" Clint raced over, as did Mudpuppy instinctively.

"Wildfire?!" Dante yelped.

The teen jumped to his feet and spun around to see the Charmeleon on his hands and knees, gasping for breath. The rest of the team looked over, confused and afraid.

"Is he okay?" Dune asked, frightened.

"What was that about?" Zapper wondered.

"He looks sick," Talon commented.

"Did he have a nightmare?" Rocket whispered.

Dante ran over, following Clint and Mudpuppy. "Wildfire! What's wrong?" he cried.

"He wouldn't wake up," Gale reported. "Kept twitching and whimpering. I got...scared. When I touched him, he felt like he had lava under his skin."

"Shit..." Clint scooped up Wildfire. "Come on, Wildfire, calm down. It's alright, we're here. It was a dream..."

The Charmeleon twisted away, snarling as he clawed his way back to the ground. Wildfire pressed his face to the grassy dirt, gasping. His body felt like it was on fire, which was ironic considering he was a Fire-type. Why couldn't he cool down? It was like someone had thrown him in an oven! And those voice...and images... What were they?

_I gotta cool down! I'm burning up!_

Staggering to his feet, he dashed for the river and scooped water up, chugging as much as he could.

"Wildfire!" Dante yelped, following him.

Clint followed too. Upon reaching the Fire-type, he kneeled down. "Wildfire... Tell me, what was it? What did you see?"

Clint knew that wasn't an ordinary dream...

"Hey, isn't it bad for Fire-types to drink too much water?" Zapper asked.

"Look at his tail. It's growing and shrinking like crazy!" Talon pointed out.

"Something bad happened," Rocket realized.

"It's not bad for_ him _to drink too much water. His dad's part Water-type," Clint reassured. "Sometimes when different type Pokemon create a child, they become less weak to their most vulnerable typing. At least sometimes...looks like the case here."

All Wildfire could hear was white noise...and screaming. A woman's scream... No. The scream of a Pokemon. A Charizard? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that the water wasn't helping. His body was too hot. _Make it stop. Gotta cool down. Now!_

"Wildfire, what happened?" Dante looked at Clint. "What kind of nightmare does this to a Pokemon, Clint? This is really bad!"

"Move," Mudpuppy stepped over Wildfire and drenched him with water.

_Gotta cool down! Drinking doesn't help, even though the water's freezing! Gotta cool down! How?_ Wildfire's thoughts raced at super-speed. A sudden rush of freezing water crashed over him, eradicating the heat instantly. The Charmeleon collapsed in a heap, gasping for breath. _Thank you, thank you, thank you..._

"Anytime...son..." Mudpuppy rumbled.

"Watch his tail! You could've put it out!" Talon squawked.

"I don't think his tail will go out as easily as a regular Charmeleon. I wouldn't be surprised if he could go underwater." Clint scooped Wildfire up, getting him into a sitting position. "Breathe, buddy, breathe..."

"Don't Charmeleons die if their tail goes out?" Dune asked.

"Yeah," Zapper nodded.

Gale flapped over, landing on Clint's shoulder to better see Wildfire. "You okay now?" he asked, his voice wavering fearful.

Wildfire's hearing cleared, allowing him to hear the panicked clamor he had caused. For a moment he sat there, limp as a ragdoll. The next, he suddenly bolted upright and jumped away from Clint.

"What do you think you're doing, getting that close to me?!" he hissed, instantly aggressive.

"Making sure you're not _dead_!" Dante cried.

"Or worse," Talon added.

"Wildfire, don't you _dare_ try to put up a wall after what just happened to you. What was that dream?" Clint demanded.

"Voices! Nothing but voices! Who cares?" Wildfire snarled. "I've already forgotten them!"

"You were twitching and whimpering," Gale said.

"Shut up!" he snarled angrily at the bird.

"..." Clint asked his next question in all seriousness. "...I don't know how much you saw...but I'm going to ask this... Wildfire...did you see eyes? Not just any normal eyes either... Did you see _those_ eyes...?"

Clint knew who was present in the room. He said he was when he raided the lab, when he was too late... It was possible Wildfire had a repressed memory... If he remembered anything from that..._thing_...it's his eyes...

Wildfire fell quiet. "...I didn't see anything," he said coldly, glaring at Clint. "I don't need to be coddled after a nightmare. I'm not a baby. Find someone else to do that to. I'm not interested."

Wildfire turned away, walking back toward the tree. After a moment, Gale followed him.

"Wildfire..." Dante muttered. He looked at Clint. "What did you mean? Eyes?"

"So you _did_ see them..." He looked to Dante. "He_ does_ remember...but he's repressing it..."

"That's Wildfire for you," Dante shrugged. "So, now what?"

"Talk about being ungrateful," Talon huffed.

"Did Wildfire have a bad dream, Dante?" Dune asked.

"...I think so," Dante said.

"Sounds like he just remembered his unceremonious birth," Clint stated gravely.

"...Ouch..." Dante winced.

"Not that he'll ever tell us," Rocket muttered. "Maybe Gale, but not us…"

"Told you that Gale's the key," Talon said triumphantly. "Get through to Gale and you can get to Wildfire."

"He didn't have to say anything," Clint explained. "When I mentioned the eyes, he went quiet. That was all I needed."

.o.o.o.o.

Wildfire reached the tree and sat down at its base. Gale landed on a branch just above him.

"What happened?" the Pidgeotto asked nervously.

"Nothing," Wildfire said softly, exhausted. "Just voices..."

.o.o.o.o.

"Okay," Dante shrugged. "Now what? Head back to camp?"

"We aren't going to get anything else out of him right now... Yeah, let's head back."

Clint looked a lot surer of himself than he did about Wildfire. He knew even more now that that Charmeleon was a ticking time bomb...

"Maybe we should leave Wildfire alone for a bit," Dante suggested.

"I agree with that," Zapper nodded.

"Me too," Rocket said.

"Yeah," Dune whispered.

"Leaving him alone is probably best," Talon decided.

The group headed back to the tree, avoiding the spot where Wildfire and Gale were. Clint followed them back. He and Mudpuppy were obviously worried.

Rocket, Dune, and Zapper went off to play once again. Talon perched by Dante's side, unsure of what exactly to do. Dante sat on the other side of the tree, keeping his distance from the volatile Charmeleon.

.o.o.o.o.

"You sure nothing else happened?" Gale hesitantly asked.

"What? Worried about me? How _sweet_!" Wildfire teased, smirking cruelly.

"You were freaking me out. I was..." Gale fell quiet.

The Charmeleon looked up at his companion in surprise. "You were seriously worried? About _me_?! I don't need that from _you_!" he snarled.

"I said nothing of the sort. Forget I said anything," Gale quickly replied, looking away.

"I thought so," Wildfire growled, looking away as well.

.o.o.o.o.

"I'm going to talk to Gale at some point," Clint suddenly said. "He looked genuinely worried about Wildfire. He really seems to care for him. Heck knows why with how he's acted..."

"Maybe they knew each other before all this?" Dante suggested. "We don't know what they did before joining up with me...and Wildfire being taken from you..."

Clint sighed, thinking it over. "...Maybe... Who knows who was in that place with him? I really don't know..."

"Yeah," Dante nodded, looking up at the sky. "Who knows?"

.o.o.o.o.

After a moment, Wildfire sighed through his teeth. "...He was right."

"Huh?" Gale looked down at his companion, confused.

"I saw them... The eyes... And the voices... I heard 'dad' and the moron...and some woman...and another...familiar voice... I don't know why, but I think I should know it from somewhere."

Gale looked at him in shock.

Wildfire continued tiredly, looking up at the sky. "My mind's a mess. I hate it. Why did that moron have to show up? I'm fine the way I am. I don't need to change, not for anyone."

.o.o.o.o.

"At least we know Gale isn't heartless. He cares about lizard breath," Talon pointed out. "That's something new."

"I just hope Wildfire realizes he can't do everything by himself...and yes, as I said, I noticed Gale isn't as bad. He may still kill and not be everyone's favorite person—Zapper especially—but he cares," Clint admitted.

"They care about each other. That's enough for them, I guess," Dante muttered.

.o.o.o.o.

"...I don't think I'll be sleeping anytime soon," Wildfire admitted. "Not with 'dad' or moron here. That nightmare was too much. I'm not dealing with that."

Gale shifted, looking nervous. "You need to sleep, too."

"I'll be fine for a while," Wildfire argued. "It's not like I can really do anything, what with 'dad' stopping me from killing the competition."

.o.o.o.o.

Clint sighed. "You should be getting to that time soon... When you feel it, tell me."

"You mean when I wake up? Kinda feeling it now," Dante admitted.

"Here..." Clint put a little blinking thing on the other's shirt. "This'll take you to my place. It locks onto one of... Well, you'll see…"

"Okay… What about classes and stuff? I still went to school despite all this, amazingly enough," Dante admitted. He looked at the blinking thing in doubt

"Dude... You may have forgotten. It's summer. You're on break," Clint reminded, amused. "For right now, you don't have to worry about that."

"I guess," Dante muttered, yawning sleepily. The edges of his vision began to fade black. _I just hope Rocket and the others will be okay without me here, especially after Wildfire's 'incident',_ he thought.

Clint smiled. "Alright... Time to head back..."

Clint relaxed his eyes and waited...and waited...

He frowned. "…Sean fell asleep at the computer, didn't he?"

Missingno quietly appeared next to him and nodded.

"Just do it manually then," Clint instructed.

Missingno nodded and took a hold of Clint. There was a flash and he was gone. Luckily, the Pokemon were asleep. No one noticed.

.o.o.o.o.

Back in the real world, two pods opened. Clint came out of one, stretching. He looked over to see Dante out cold on the floor, having fallen out of the other.

"Ah... Well, it worked," he chuckled.

He kneeled down, shaking Dante.

"Hey, bud... You alright?"


End file.
